In a carefully coordinated diplomatic effort, Greece and Cyprus are pushing for European Union attention on a potential agreement between Turkey and Syria to delimit maritime zones, raising the specter of legal and political tensions reminiscent of the illegal Turkey-Libya memorandum.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides presented the issue during European Council discussions, advocating for a statement emphasizing the respect of sovereign rights of nations bordering Syria.
The aim is to counter Ankara’s efforts to impose unilateral maritime claims that disregard the rights of islands, including the Republic of Cyprus.
European officials, largely unaware of the issue’s complexity, are now considering including relevant language in summit conclusions.
This follows a precedent: the EU’s formal disapproval of the Turkey-Libya memorandum as a breach of international law.
Athens underscores its concerns as Turkey accelerates its efforts, spurred by the political vacuum after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fall.
Improved Ankara-Damascus ties, once inconceivable due to decades of hostility during the Assad family’s rule of Syria, could pave the way for swift agreements that sideline international norms.
US involvement is growing as Washington seeks to re-engage with Damascus.
In a hint of an evolving geopolitical calculus, Barbara Leaf, a senior State Department official, is scheduled to meet Syria’s transitional leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led a rebel coalition that ousted Assad.
For now, Greece is focused on preserving its strong ties with Israel, a key Eastern Mediterranean power.
Diplomatic overtures aim to block Turkey’s narrative of legitimacy as Athens advocates for regional cooperation and rule of law.
With the Eastern Mediterranean’s stability in flux, the Greece-Cyprus axis highlights the urgent need for multilateral consensus against unilateral moves by Ankara.