Turkey has announced a traffic restriction in the Aegean Sea – and Greece is under pressure

An unusual Turkish move in the Aegean Sea is causing growing concern in Greece: Turkey has published a notice restricting movement in the maritime area for the purposes of naval exercises or works (NAVTEX) valid for two years, a step perceived in Athens as a long-term strategic statement on maritime sovereignty and the status of the islands in the region, as published on the “Clash Report” network.

The Greek newspaper e-Kathimerini described the NAVTEX messages, valid until December 31, 2027, as “abnormal in their length”. According to the report, this is a step that illustrates Turkey’s determination to continuously preserve its core positions in the Aegean Sea.

Greek sources have been quoted as saying that Turkey is adopting a new political-administrative tactic based on long-range NAVTEX messages. According to the interpretation, the goal is to inculcate a concept according to which all maritime space east of the 25th meridian is within Turkey’s jurisdiction.

NAVTEX message number 0880/25, published by the Turkish Hydrographic Office, includes an explicit list of 23 islands – including Rhodes, Lesbos, Chios and Kos – and emphasizes that they must remain under permanent decommissioning status. According to her, the Turkish position is based on the decisions of international conferences and agreements, including the London Conference of 1914, the Lausanne Agreement of 1923 and the Paris Agreements of 1947, which prohibit military activity in the territorial waters of the islands.

The Greek media noted that the timing of the publication of the NAVTEX announcements, on the eve of the High Level Cooperation Council meeting, is not accidental. According to the assessment, Ankara seeks to reach policy talks from a clear position of strength. On the other hand, it is claimed that Greece remains mostly on the defensive, and usually responds to the Turkish announcements by publishing only counter-announcements.

Through NAVTEX messages for a period of two years, Turkey wishes to convey to the international community that its positions regarding maritime powers and the legal status of the islands in the Aegean Sea are not a temporary response, but a permanent policy based, in its opinion, on international law.