source – newsbreak.gr

The proverb says that ” the wolf in the thicket rejoices ” and, in this case, the… gray wolf certainly rejoices, as today, Monday, June 16, Turkey officially submitted, through the IOC-UNESCO organization, its own marine spatial plan (Marine Spatial Plan) – a map that, in essence, cuts the Aegean Sea in half !

This registration, which was accompanied by the posting of the map on the global MSPGlobal platform (a joint initiative of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO [UNESCO-IOC] and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries [DG MARE] of the European Commission), took place at a time when the crisis in the Middle East is escalating dangerously and the attention of the international community is focused on the new round of military confrontation between Israel and Iran , which directly  affects Greek interests in the Aegean.

With this move, Ankara is essentially attempting to “respond” to the completion of the maritime spatial planning by the Greek side , using its own maps, which it has already sent to the competent UNESCO department. ” This milestone marks the official recognition of Turkey’s maritime spatial planning ,” Ankara’s statement said.

The disputed map applies the so-called “median line” between the continental coasts of Turkey and Greece, ignoring the existence of the Greek islands and any right they have to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or continental shelf . Thus, islands such as Chios, Samos, Lesbos, Crete and Kastellorizo ​​are presented as “ neutral geographical anomalies ” that do not confer sovereign rights .

Red line

In particular, it comes to reflect the well-known views of Turkey that it repeats on every occasion, insisting on its revisionist stance on the “middle line” with regard to energy research areas. A red line stands out on the map, which extends from the Greek-Turkish border line at the mouth of the Evros River to the north and then south of the Dodecanese . Through it, Turkey shows that it does not recognize rights beyond six nautical miles of territorial waters in the Greek islands .

In the Eastern Mediterranean, diagonal lines mark the areas for which exploration permits have been issued to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) , while the pink areas correspond to the permanent exercise areas designated by Turkey. Finally, a black line passing north of Crete and then heading towards the Straits, crossing international waters in the Aegean, is depicted as an “undersea cable” .

The map was prepared under the coordination of the Ankara University Law of the Sea Center (DEHUKAM) in collaboration with Turkish state agencies and is presented as a scientific tool for sustainable management of marine resources . In practice, however, it is fully aligned with the rhetoric and strategy of the “Blue Homeland”, offering another “trump card” to Turkey’s long-standing claims.

” The “Turkey Sea Spatial Planning Map” was prepared under the coordination of DEHUKAM and with the contributions of all relevant institutions and organizations, it was registered by the Republic of Turkey after the completion of the citizen consultation on April 16, 2025. With the completion of the registration process, the Turkish DMP map was published on the MSPGlobal platform and opened for international access. This important development has allowed Turkey’s spatial planning for sustainable use of marine and coastal areas to be recognized internationally and has acquired official status. Good luck to our country, ” DEHUKAM said in a statement.

It should be noted that the registration of this Turkish map in the IOC-UNESCO has no binding legal force , as it is not a treaty or an interstate agreement. However, its inclusion in MSPGlobal, the official UN platform for maritime spatial planning , constitutes yet another propaganda mechanism on Turkey’s part, this time through ecological “sensitivities”.