Athens responds to Ankara’s claims over sea border

Greece has written to the United Nations to complain about and challenge a letter from Turkey’s Permanent Mission that questions Greek sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In the Greek missive, sent by the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Aikaterini Boura, Athens accuses Ankara of trying to impede Greece from agreeing a maritime delimitation with other states. The official challenged the Turkish claim that the Greek islands in the maritime area in question are not entitled to their own continental shelf and exclusive economic zones. This runs counter to the international law of the sea, Greece argues.

The letter argues that Turkish challenges to the delimitation of the continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean are unfounded and an attempt to interfere with Greece’s right to move ahead with agreements with other countries. Boura’s letter was sent on December 8 but only made public now.