Greece has called on the European Union to intervene over what it describes as illegal fishing activities and repeated violations of maritime law by Turkish fishermen in the Aegean Sea, escalating tensions between the long-time regional rivals.
The appeal was made on Friday by Greece’s Shipping Minister, Vasilis Kikilias, during talks in Athens with the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis.
Kikilias accused Turkey of disregarding international maritime law and challenging Greece’s sovereign rights in contested waters of the eastern Mediterranean, where both NATO allies have remained locked in disputes for decades over maritime boundaries, continental shelves and fishing jurisdiction.
He urged Brussels to step into the dispute, insisting that Greece’s maritime borders also form part of the European Union’s external frontier.
The Aegean Sea, which separates the Greek and Turkish mainlands and is dotted with hundreds of islands and islets, has long been a flashpoint between the two countries.
Greece has established restricted fishing zones in parts of the region, but Ankara has challenged some of those measures, arguing they fall outside Greek jurisdiction.
Tensions deepened last year when Athens formally protested against a Turkish maritime spatial plan that outlined designated zones for fishing and other maritime activities in the Aegean.
The European Commission previously stated that responsibility for enforcing fisheries regulations primarily rests with coastal states, although it has supported Greece through patrol operations by the European Fisheries Control Agency, satellite monitoring and inspection mechanisms.