Turkey’s foreign ministry reacted angrily on Saturday to the publication by the EU Commission of a maritime spatial plan map of Greek maritime waters and zones – an obligation that Athens should have already completed by 2021.

The MSP details the uses of member-states’ maritime areas, as well as the permitted or prohibited activities in these areas, all within the context of the EU’s general planning European seas.

Nevertheless, perennial EU candidate Turkey has repeatedly issued threats and engaged in saber-rattling to prevent action, with the MSP Platform this week posting content reminding that Greece has not yet submitted its MPS.

At the same time, the map posted by the EU entity generated the ire of Ankara.

According to the European Maritime Spatial Plan Platform website, “…Greece has not yet adopted an MSP. Alongside the ongoing MSP process, MSP related issues are also addressed in “Special Frameworks for Spatial Planning” (terrestrial spatial plans – TS Plans) covering specific economic sectors. Sectoral plans have been elaborated so far for aquaculture, (2011, to be revised), tourism (under finalisation) and industry, (2009, to be revised), which include spatial planning guidelines for the land-based, coastal and marine segments of each sector.”

The angry Turkish response was posted on X: