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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Türkiye's reactions to Greece's designation of special spatial frameworks for renewable energy and tourism will not affect Athens' planning, briefing his Cabinet that Greece will not discuss anything with Ankara beyond continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) delimitation.
The remarks came as Greek media reported that Athens is preparing a range of responses to what it characterizes as "escalating Turkish moves in the Aegean."
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Mitsotakis said recent reactions "from the east" would not change Greek plans.
"Regarding some reactions we've seen, which follow our own actions, reactions from the east, I will say only one thing: they do not affect our planning at all. Areas of Greek sovereignty are indisputable, and we are ready to defend them at any moment," he said.
"I will repeat what the (foreign) minister also said in his interview yesterday: we obviously want good neighborly relations with Türkiye, but we are not discussing anything else with Türkiye, nothing else, beyond the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean," Mitsotakis added.
On Aug. 16, Türkiye designated maritime areas off Mugla's Fethiye and Antalya's Kas, as well as a delineated area in the northern Aegean, as "marine national parks," according to a presidential decree published in Türkiye's Official Gazette.
Days later, on Aug. 20, Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) addressed reporters' questions about Greece's special spatial framework for renewable energy sources, which Athens declared for an area including parts of the Aegean Sea.
"We are closely following the Special Spatial Framework for Renewable Energy Sources declared by Greece, which also covers the Aegean Sea. This regulation, including geographic formations whose ownership has not been transferred to Greece under international treaties, produces no legal consequence for our country and does not affect our position. Our country maintains its determination to protect its rights, interests, and concerns in the Aegean Sea within the framework of international law," the ministry said.
"Nevertheless, Türkiye supports resolving issues between the two coastal states of the Aegean on the basis of international law, equity and good neighborly relations and supports the development of peace, stability, and cooperation in the region," the ministry noted.
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According to a report by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Athens is preparing a range of responses to what Greek officials describe as growing escalation by Türkiye, following Ankara's designation of two maritime parks in the Aegean.
Greek officials said Athens is closely monitoring Turkish actions, which they believe mark the end of a period of relative calm in bilateral relations.
The Greek government reportedly believes a clearer picture of Türkiye's strategy will emerge in the coming weeks, based on two developments: the publication of any terms, restrictions, or prohibitions Türkiye may impose on fishing, navigation, and research within its designated maritime parks; and how Ankara responds to the planned resumption of surveys related to the Greece-Greek Cyprus electricity interconnection project.
According to Kathimerini, Athens has already begun implementing some measures, with high-level bilateral contacts effectively being frozen.
A meeting between Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next month is now considered highly unlikely, as is a possible meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers.
Greece is also expected to adopt a tougher position on EU-Türkiye relations, according to the report.
Beyond Ankara's exclusion from the EU's SAFE defense program, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis is expected to brief counterparts at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council on the Turkish-designated maritime parks.
Athens is expected to oppose progress on issues of strong Turkish interest, including modernization of the EU-Türkiye customs union, visa liberalization, and Türkiye's role as an energy hub connecting Europe with the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Greek officials cited by Kathimerini also said the possible extension of territorial waters south of Crete to 12 nautical miles is among the options under consideration.
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