Türkiye to join Spitsbergen Treaty

Türkiye has decided to join the Spitsbergen Treaty, which will allow Turks to acquire real estate, and the right to live and fish on the [Archtic] archipelago [of Svalbard] and in its territorial waters.

The draft law on the treaty signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sent to the parliament speaker's office, RBC-Ukraine reports with reference to Hurriyet News.

If Türkiye is included in the treaty signed in Paris on February 9, 1920, Turkish companies will be able to work in the fields of maritime navigation, industry, mining and trade in the Svalbard archipelago and in the territorial waters under the sovereignty of Norway.

Also, according to the bill, Turkish scientists will have the opportunity to conduct scientific research at the Turkish Scientific Station being created. According to experts, Türkiye's accession to this treaty will further strengthen its interest in the Arctic region.

The agreement concerns the establishment of certain agreements on the Svalbard archipelago between Norway, the USA, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden.

The Svalbard Treaty [originally the Spitsbergen Treaty] recognises the sovereignty of Norway over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, at the time called Spitsbergen. The exercise of sovereignty is, however, subject to certain stipulations, and not all Norwegian law applies. The treaty regulates the demilitarisation of the archipelago. The signatories were given equal rights to engage in commercial activities (mainly coal mining) on the islands. As of 2012, Norway and Russia make use of this right.