Turkey Declares Indefinite Aegean Navtex Warnings Against Greek Activities

Turkey Issues Indefinite Navtex in Aegean Sea

Turkey's Ministry of National Defense has declared that its navigational warnings, known as Navtex, in the Aegean Sea, which target activities by Greece, have no specified end date. This statement clarifies earlier reports in the Greek press suggesting a two-year validity period for some of these notices.

Ankara's Stance on Aegean Activities

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense characterized these Navtex warnings as 'technical objections' to what it perceives as 'Greece's illegal activities in the Aegean Sea that violate international law'. According to Ankara, the indefinite nature of these warnings underscores Turkey's consistent position on maritime jurisdiction in the region.

Key points emphasized by the Turkish authorities include:

• All research activities in maritime areas covering the continental shelf in the Aegean Sea must be coordinated with Turkey.
• Military activities in areas, including the territorial waters of islands under demilitarized status, could endanger navigational safety and violate international treaties.

Turkey has also asserted its authority to issue permits over approximately half of the Aegean and maintains claims regarding the demilitarized status of 23 Greek islands.

Greek Reaction and International Context

In response, Greek media outlets have described Turkey's long-duration Navtex as 'unusually long' and a 'new political and administrative challenge tactic'. Greek officials consider these Turkish Navtex to be 'illegal, impulsive actions' and lacking legal basis under international law, particularly when they cover extensive areas for prolonged periods without being linked to specific events.

Greece has affirmed its intention to continue exercising its sovereign rights. Furthermore, Athens has reportedly submitted a report to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) committee responsible for global maritime safety, and the European Commission's 2024 report on Turkey explicitly noted this practice as illegal.

Ongoing Tensions in the Aegean

The issuance of these indefinite Navtex warnings highlights the persistent and complex maritime disputes between Turkey and Greece, both NATO allies. Long-standing disagreements over maritime boundaries, continental shelf delineation, airspace, and the status of various islands in the Aegean Sea continue to be sources of tension between the two nations.