Greece asserts unilateral right to 12 nautical mile territorial waters

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis has stated that the expansion of Greek territorial waters to 12 nautical miles is a unilateral right of Greece. He emphasized that this right will be exercised at a time and in a manner deemed appropriate by the state.

Marinakis noted that the current administration under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis differs from previous governments by having officially recorded this unilateral right in a diplomatic démarche toward Turkey. He asserted that policy is defined by actions rather than words, highlighting the Prime Minister's recent visit to Kastellorizo as a symbolic gesture of intent for a future of peace based on mutual respect and international legality.

The government maintains that it has never intended to obstruct this right, but rather to exercise it when the country evaluates it as necessary, specifically regarding the waters south and west of Crete.