Confirmation on secret negotiations aimed at delimiting marine border between Turkey and SyriaAfter the overthrow of the Assad regime, it is a letter signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and publishes the Nordic Monitor based in Stockholm.
The letter reveals that Turkey’s institutions have been ordered to draw up an exclusive economic zone agreement (EEZ) with Syria.
The goal is the Ensuring the interests of both Turkey and the pseudo -state in Cyprus.
“With the overthrow of the Assad regime and the transfer of power to a transitional government, efforts are being made to coordinate with our competent institutions to determine the maritime borders with Syria and the demarcation of the areas of maritime jurisdiction beyond our territorial waters,” June 16, which is addressed to the office of the President of the Turkish Parliament.
Fidan also stressed that Turkey is committed to defending the rights and interests of the pseudo -state in any future marine delineation agreement with Damascus.
The letter is the first official confirmation that preparations for such an agreement are already ongoing.
“The EU has no right to comment on a possible agreement between two sovereign states on their regions of maritime jurisdiction,” the Turkish Foreign Minister underlined in his letter.
An EEZ agreement between Turkey and Syria could significantly change the geopolitical dynamics of the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey is already at the heart of disagreements in the Eastern Mediterranean, concerning Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.
Given the complex history of the region and the overlapping EEZ claims, any agreement between Turkey and Syria could further escalate the tensions between Ankara and Greece and Cyprus.
Turkey has long opposed the maritime delimitation agreements signed by Cyprus with Egypt in 2003, Lebanon in 2007 and Israel in 2010, arguing that these agreements violate the rights of the pseudo -state.