Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on the letter of the Turkish Permanent Representative to the UN regarding Maritime Zones

Once again, on the false pretence of acting in the name of peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, with groundless arguments, Turkey persists in violating international legality and destabilising the region.

Building its illegal house of cards.

Once again, Turkey is refusing to recognise the Republic of Cyprus, a member state of the EU and the UN, is refusing to recognise the sovereign rights of the Greek islands, flagrantly violating the International Law of the Sea.

In the face of Turkey’s violations of international law, Greece, along with the whole of the international community, condemns Turkey’s stance and continues to recognise the legal member states of the international community, while repudiating illegal entities.

Greece continues to adhere to international law as the cornerstone of peace and stability in the world and continues to demand respect for the sovereign right of islands to a continental shelf and EEZ, underscoring that illegal and null-and-void agreements produce no legal effects.

We repeat that persistence in violating international legality, with or without maps, creates neither law nor rights and will certainly be met with the appropriate response.