Turkey has completed its maritime spatial planning (MSP), outlining the spatial and temporal distribution of current and future activities and uses within its marine waters, according to a report published in the Milliyet newspaper.
The MSP is understood to reflect the claims embedded in Turkey’s expansionist Blue Homeland doctrine. In the Aegean Sea, the plan adopts the “median line” between the two mainland coasts of Turkey and Greece as the boundary.
This reflects Ankara’s longstanding position that islands are not entitled to maritime zones, and that the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) should therefore be delimited along the median line between the two countries’ mainland coasts.
The report notes that the map does not constitute a legally binding maritime jurisdiction but is instead presented as a scientific study in accordance with international law.
Last year, Turkey reacted strongly to the European Commission’s publication of an MSP map delineating Greek maritime zones.