A storm is brewing in the otherwise calm waters of the Aegean Sea, dividing Türkiye and Greece. While Türkiye seeks to assert its rights on the sea whose both shores are popular summer destinations, Greece is reportedly gearing up to counter it, per reports by Turkish and Greek media outlets.

In response to the "Blue Homeland” draft bill unveiled in early May in Ankara, Athens is reportedly considering declaring new "marine parks” in the Aegean Sea while expanding the limits of its territorial waters south of Crete island, according to the reports.

The Greek government did not confirm reports, but Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis was recently quoted as saying that they would "absolutely utilize legal tools of response if Ankara takes this matter to new extremes.”

Greece last year announced two marine parks or areas for protection of maritime species in the Ionian Sea and southern islands of Cyclades, to the chagrin of Ankara. Türkiye argued that the declaration of marine parks near the islands in particular was political rather than for the sake of biodiversity and was an attempt to change the status quo in the disputed sea. The Greek media outlets reported that new marine parks can be declared near Dodecanese islands, or "On Iki Ada” (Twelve Islands) as they are known in Türkiye. The islands were Ottoman domain until the early 20th century before they were ceded to Italy. Italy, in turn, ceded them to Greece following World War II.

"Blue Homeland" is the name of a doctrine conceived by two former Turkish naval officers. The doctrine encompasses Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with United Nations resolutions. These connected issues have been a source of dispute between Türkiye and Greece for decades.

Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdictions remain a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing a domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to boost its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea as its predecessor, the Ottomans, were once, Türkiye in the past two decades has developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, promoting regional stability.

Safeguarding the Blue Homeland rights is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly with Israel, for Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries.

The bill was introduced to the public on May 12 at a press conference organized by Ankara University’s National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law (DEHUKAM), the main body that prepares maritime maps to support Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction policies. Professor Çağrı Erhan, acting chair of the Turkish Presidency’s Board of Security and Foreign Policies, told the press conference that maritime laws have been dynamic and Türkiye needed to follow developments in the laws. He said the draft bill was not specifically aimed at any country.

"We are talking about a text based on the rights and interests of the Turkish nation. Other countries may believe that the world belongs to them only. We do not heed what they are worried about,” he said, in thinly veiled remarks against Greece.

Over the past century, the Republic of Türkiye has been at odds with its neighbors over maritime rights. Similarly, Greece invoked international laws that are also supposed to protect the rights of Türkiye. Speaking to Daily Sabah last month, Hüseyin Fazla, founder and director of Strategic Research Centre (STRASAM) and a retired air force brigadier general, said the draft bill brought a fresh point of view to "a mechanism where Türkiye strived to maintain control over its maritime jurisdiction through various laws and regulations,” noting that it was significant to amalgamate steps on the issues regarding continental shelf, exclusive economic zones, etc. He added that the draft also included the definition of internal bodies of water, such as the Çanakkale Strait, Marmara Sea and Bosporus, and this was another significant aspect of the bill. "This, on the other hand, does not contradict the Treaty of Montreaux and rather, it is a viewpoint reinforcing Türkiye’s sovereign rights,” he said.