Greece is laying the groundwork for a future extension of its territorial waters, with Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis signalling that such a move will come “in due course,” just as Greece has already proceeded with maritime spatial planning and the establishment of marine parks in the Aegean Sea.
Speaking in the Hellenic Parliament on Friday, Gerapetritis defended the government’s foreign policy record and rejected accusations of hesitation or over-reliance on traditional allies. He argued that Greece has significantly strengthened its national position over recent years, translating diplomatic strategy into tangible assertions of sovereignty.
“We are accused of timidity and of taking allies for granted — us?” the foreign minister asked rhetorically. “Beyond maritime spatial planning, we now have marine parks that consolidate our sovereignty and neutralise any claims over zones of jurisdiction.”
Marine parks as a strategic precedent
Gerapetritis stressed that the creation of marine parks in the Aegean should be seen as a first phase of a broader maritime strategy. He confirmed that additional parks are already planned, following the establishment of what he referred to as “Aegean Marine Park 1,” with a second phase to follow.
“These measures came into being just as the extension to 12 nautical miles came into being, just as the agreements with Egypt and Italy came into being — and just as the extension of territorial waters will come,” he said.
In a pointed challenge to the opposition, the foreign minister asked which previous government had succeeded in implementing comparable initiatives, citing maritime zoning, marine parks, exclusive economic zone agreements, and strategic partnerships with major international energy and defence firms.
Confronting Turkish claims
Addressing tensions with Turkey, Gerapetritis described Ankara’s long-standing “Blue Homeland” doctrine as an unacceptable set of claims that first emerged in the 1990s and have never been withdrawn. However, he argued that Greece’s position has fundamentally changed since 2019.
“Where were we in 2019, and where are we today?” he asked. “Today, Greece has arguments on the table that it never had before.”
He emphasised that Greece now has formally recorded positions on maritime zones, anchored at the level of the European acquis. According to Gerapetritis, the maritime spatial planning framework adopted in 2025 forms the core of Greece’s claims and constitutes a red line from which Athens will not retreat.
“The Blue Homeland narrative may still be present in Ankara’s rhetoric,” he said, “but Greece now has documented positions that cannot be ignored.”
Dialogue without concessions
Despite the firm tone, Gerapetritis reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to dialogue with Turkey, while drawing a clear boundary around what can and cannot be discussed.
“We will talk,” he said. “But there is something we will not talk about: issues of national sovereignty. There will be no concessions from our positions.”
He argued that Greece is no longer negotiating from a position of mere equality, but from one of “real strength,” attributing this to a strategic foreign policy that recognises global realities rather than ignoring them.
Referring to the recent commissioning of the frigate Kimon, Gerapetritis highlighted Greece’s ongoing defence modernisation as a pillar of national security. “It is important that we stand together on national successes,” he said. “Above government positions stand national achievements.”
Mitsotakis–Erdogan meeting expected in February
Meanwhile, Athens and Ankara are preparing for a new high-level meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expected to take place in Ankara in February, before the start of Ramadan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed that preparations for the meeting are well underway and that Turkey is seeking to hold talks “as soon as possible.” However, his remarks went beyond procedural confirmation, including pointed political messages and indications that Ankara intends to keep its full spectrum of claims firmly on the agenda.
Greece continues to insist that the only bilateral dispute open to discussion is the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf. Turkey, by contrast, maintains a broader set of demands, setting the stage for a complex and potentially tense diplomatic encounter in the weeks ahead.
