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Türkiye has added new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to its national marine planning map registered with UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), marking an expansion of the country's maritime conservation efforts in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.
The update, prepared by Ankara University's National Maritime Law Research Center (DEHUKAM) with contributions from relevant institutions, was incorporated into the map registered with UNESCO's IOC last month, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources spoke on Saturday.
Two areas particularly stand out among the new MPAs: one in the North Aegean and another off the coast of Fethiye-Kas. Additional MPAs in Türkiye's surrounding seas are expected to be announced.
The designated areas will focus on protecting marine ecosystems and implementing environmental measures, sources confirmed. The MPAs will not affect freedom of navigation in the seas.
Coordination efforts regarding the status and legislation of MPAs continue between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change previously declared the "Finike Submarine Mountains Special Environmental Protection Area" off Finike. The Cabinet Decree was published in the Official Gazette dated Aug. 16, 2013, numbered 28737.
With the establishment of the MPA off Fethiye-Kas, Türkiye's scope of protected environmental areas in the Mediterranean is expanding, demonstrating the country's increasing commitment to protecting its surrounding seas.
A Presidential Circular establishing the "Marine Spatial Planning Coordination Board" was published in the Official Gazette on July 24, 2025, aimed at further developing Türkiye's Marine Spatial Planning announced in April and registered with the IOC in June, and ensuring inter-institutional coordination.
The Board will meet regularly to evaluate the environmental impacts of sectoral activities in Türkiye's surrounding seas and ensure inter-institutional coordination. The Foreign Ministry will conduct secretariat services and follow-up of coordination and implementation.
Foreign Ministry sources emphasized that marine parks are essentially beneficial tools established to protect certain areas of the sea and support sustainability, noting that Türkiye aims to increase the number of these areas with its experience in protecting the marine environment.
Recalling that Greece announced two marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean Seas on July 21, sources stated: "It is well known that Türkiye will not accept Greece's unilateral steps and creation of fait accompli in the Aegean. Greece's fait accompli efforts in the Aegean, including practices on Geographical Formations (gray areas) consisting of islands, islets and rocks not ceded to Greece by international agreements, produce no legal consequences. These attempts can have no effect on Türkiye's legitimate rights and interests."
"The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly announced and recorded Türkiye's position on this issue. These matters are also emphasized in meetings with Greek counterparts," sources added.
Sources underlined that Türkiye continues to take reciprocal steps, noting that the country announced its Marine Spatial Planning covering all its seas in recent months and registered it with the relevant UN organization.
Sharing that work on marine protected areas conducted for some time under the coordination of the Foreign Ministry and relevant institutions has been completed, sources stated: "Marine protected areas are being declared off Gokceada in the North Aegean and off Finike in the Mediterranean. These two marine protected areas are being incorporated and processed into the Marine Spatial Planning map."
Sources reported that the number of these areas will be increased in every sea in the future without hindering the activities of relevant economic sectors, recalling that international maritime law encourages cooperation among coastal states in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean, including on environmental issues.
Sources emphasized that Türkiye continues to call on Greece in this direction while following developments and taking reciprocal steps, stressing that the attitude regarding the resolution of problems on the basis of international law, equity and good neighborliness within the framework of the "Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighborhood" signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Dec. 7, 2023, is maintained by Türkiye.
Türkiye is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Aegean Sea and Black Sea, with the Sea of Marmara as an internal sea separating its Asian and European parts. Its territorial waters extend up to 6 nautical miles in the Aegean Sea and 12 nautical miles in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea.
The country has declared an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) only in the Black Sea and established boundaries with neighboring countries through delimitation agreements. Türkiye is party to regional marine environment protection agreements including the Barcelona Convention for the Mediterranean and the Bucharest Convention for the Black Sea.
Maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean remain subject to ongoing disputes. In the Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye has maritime boundary delimitation agreements with Libya and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The Aegean continental shelf continues to constitute a dispute between Türkiye and Greece in the absence of a delimitation agreement.
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