Greece And Turkey: The Undeclared War Of The Aegean Sea And The Libyan Projection

Nikos Dendias

Written by Piero Messina

The relationship between Greece and Turkey is at the height of tension. The main object of the dispute is the sea that separates the two shores of the Aegean. The two countries deploy their naval fleet (oil research and military) in search of fields, resources or simply to flex their muscles. Greece and Turkey both belong to NATO, but the Atlantic Alliance is unable to resolve this conflict, a real naval risk that also has deep historical roots.

The latest move on the chessboard is that of the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias called on Turkey to immediately recognize the nullity of the Turkish-Libyan maritime agreement. Dendias also described Turkey’s stance on Greece as “the epitome of irrationality.” He stressed that Athens is committed to peace and stability in Libya, and supports the principle of non-intervention in its domestic issues.

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The agreement between Turkey and Libya on exclusive economic zones and military cooperation was signed on November 27, 2019. The bilateral treaty has two main objectives: to define the borders of the EEZs, i.e. the sea areas in which it will be possible for Tripoli and Ankara to exploit energy resources; and allow Turkey to provide military assistance if requested by the Libyan government. As for the first point, the agreement sets the border of the EEZs of Turkey and Libya in maritime zones that Greece had previously defined as part of its zone. The Greek claim is based on Athens’s interpretation of the international standards set by the 1982 Montego Bay Convention (Unclos), which Turkey never signed.

The agreement between Libya and Turkey has been contested by various European institutions and by several countries of the European Union, with Greece in the front row.

According to the Greek minister “Turkey’s rhetoric against Greece” has reached a level we have not seen for years. ” Dendias noted that Ankara is intent on “misrepresenting the truth and any sense of international law, including the Law of the Sea. It threatens Greece with war if we apply the inalienable right of expanding our territorial waters, as is explicitly foreseen by the International Law of the Sea “.

“Turkey has lined up across our islands the largest landing force and largest landing fleet in the Mediterranean, while demanding that we demilitarise our islands – in other words, that we relinquish our recognized right to self-defense, as foreseen in the UN Charter. Instead, Turkey should prove its faith in international law practically, by starting to implement it. One of the simplest and fastest implementations would be the immediate retraction of the casus belli and the immediate recognition of the nullity of the so-called Turkish-Libyan memorandum, ”he stressed.

What was Ankara’s reaction to the Greek protest? The reply was entrusted to the Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Tanju Bilgic: “The anti-Turkey statements made by Greek Foreign Minister Dendias almost every day are populist and unrealistic claims that do not serve peace and stability. This provocative discourse is neither compatible with good neighborly relations, nor with the spirit of the consultative talks we have relaunched with Greece “.

Bilgic underlined that the remarks are “further proof that Greece prefers tension by seeking help from third parties and creating artificial alliances against Turkey, instead of resolving bilateral issues and developing relations through an honest and meaningful dialogue. We reject Greece’s characterization of our country’s will to defend its rights and interests as a threat. As well as its attempts to create an unrealistic perception in this direction. If there is a threat in the region, this threat arises from the unilateral actions of Greece that increase tension “.