Greece will not engage in discussions based on speculation regarding a reported draft bill being prepared in Ankara on maritime zones, nor will it accept unilateral actions aimed at creating faits accomplis, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said during his address at the 7th OT Forum.

Responding to questions on his meeting in Sofia with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Gerapetritis said there has so far been no official Turkish government position on the matter, nor is the content of the alleged text known.

The foreign minister stressed that the Greek government does not formulate policy on the basis of Turkish press reports, noting that international law provides a clearly defined methodology for maritime delimitation. He added that any unilateral act by a state cannot produce legal effects or establish international precedent.

At the same time, he acknowledged that any attempt by any country to create new facts on the ground or at sea could lead to heightened tensions, underscoring that Athens is closely monitoring developments.

No concessions

Gerapetritis reiterated that Greece seeks calm and the maintenance of open channels of communication with Turkiye, without any shift in its sovereign positions, while stressing that the country now enjoys a strong international footprint and significant geopolitical alliances that allow it to act both pre-emptively and in a deterrent capacity.

He underlined that engagement with Ankara does not imply any abandonment of positions or concessions.

Referring to discussions with Fidan, he noted that the Turkish side continues to uphold its long-standing positions on maritime zones and broader Greek-Turkish relations.

“I am not so naive as to believe that these positions will change overnight,” he said, effectively outlining the framework within which the bilateral dialogue is conducted.

According to him, the objective is not immediate convergence on core disputes but the establishment of a workable framework of coexistence that eases tensions and preserves regional stability.

As positive outcomes of this policy, he pointed to a significant reduction in airspace violations, lower migration flows to the islands of the eastern Aegean, and an increase in visits by Turkish nationals to Greek islands.

He further stressed that international law is uniform and cannot be applied selectively, in a clear reference to long-standing Turkish positions.