Bağcıoğlu Calls for Maritime Framework Law to Clarify Turkey’s Sea Claims

Bağcıoğlu stressed that the protection of Turkey’s rights and interests at sea requires a clear legal structure, arguing that existing regulations are dispersed and inconsistent.

He said the long-discussed draft law should clearly address what he described as critical and sensitive issues in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, calling them Turkey’s “red lines,” and insisted these matters cannot be sidelined.

Referring to maritime boundary concepts, Bağcıoğlu noted that the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a key legal instrument in delimiting sea areas globally, and said Turkey should formally declare an EEZ in the Eastern Mediterranean. He argued that such a step would help protect national rights, including fisheries and resource exploitation, and prevent what he described as encroachment by third countries.

He also highlighted the issue of “EGAYDAAK” (islands, islets and rocks with undetermined sovereignty in the Aegean), saying it should be given a clear legal basis within the proposed framework.

Bağcıoğlu further called for the immediate resumption of offshore hydrocarbon exploration and extraction activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, which he said should continue in line with Turkey’s 2019 UN-declared maritime coordinates.

Emphasising Turkey’s capability in maritime operations, he noted that the country ranks among the top four globally in terms of its fleet of drilling and research vessels.

Warning that any law failing to include these elements would be incomplete, Bağcıoğlu said such legislation would be “doomed to be ineffective from the outset” if it does not fully reflect Turkey’s maritime strategic interests.

He added that the draft should be finalised with input from maritime experts to ensure it reflects what he called its historical and strategic responsibility.