Türkiye has joined the Hague Group’s joint Bogota Declaration on Palestine, noting that it was not bound by the references made in the joint statement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Hague Group's joint statement on July 16 announced new measures to be taken to restrain Israel's assault on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and defend international law at large.
In a note to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 25, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Türkiye's participation in the joint declaration does not imply any change in its current legal position regarding UNCLOS, as it placed reservations on the references to the convention in Articles 2 and 3 of the declaration.
Türkiye's reservation pertains to the references to UNCLOS in Articles 2 and 3 of the statement, which invoke the convention in connection with preventing the transit of various items to Israel.
In an interview with Turkish news channel NTV on July 25, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan responded to claims that Türkiye had not signed the joint statement adopted at the Hague Group meeting in Bogota, Colombia.
Fidan pointed out that the final signing date for the statement was Sept. 30, noting that the text included references to the UNCLOS and that Türkiye was not a party to it because the status issue in the Aegean Sea had not been resolved.
Due to the inclusion of a provision related to UNCLOS, Fidan stated that they had consulted with international legal experts, added the necessary reservation and saw no issue with recognizing the statement with the reservation.
The UNCLOS, an international treaty dated Dec. 10, 1982, was prepared with the aim of being uniformly applied by all states in the oceans, but it does not take into account the sensitivities of semi-enclosed seas with unique geographical and historical conditions, such as the Aegean Sea.
The 1982 UNCLOS contains provisions that could transform the Aegean Sea into a "Greek lake."
Türkiye consistently objects to the provisions of the convention that are contrary to its rights and interests in the Aegean Sea, particularly Article 3, which regulates the width of territorial waters, Article 33, which regulates the contiguous zone and Article 121, which regulates the regime of islands.
If UNCLOS were to be implemented in the Aegean Sea, Greece would likely expand its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, potentially encompassing 70% of the sea. Türkiye is not only cautious about becoming a party to the UNCLOS, but also about any international document that refers directly or indirectly to this convention.
Meanwhile, the Center for Combating Disinformation has refuted claims that Türkiye joined the Bogota Declaration in response to public pressure.
In a statement released on its social media account, the center emphasized that allegations on social media suggesting Türkiye initially refrained from signing the Hague Group's Bogota Declaration, only to face backlash and later sign it, were deliberate disinformation.
The statement underlined that Türkiye’s stance on Palestine is rooted in international law and human rights.
Türkiye severed trade ties with Israel in May 2024 and consistently supported the Palestinian cause on international platforms.
The center urged citizens to trust only official sources for information on foreign policy matters.
