For the first time, Turks challenge the 1926 Athens Protocol and borders in the Evros Delta with the help of NAVTEX

Ankara is challenging for the first time the Athens Protocol of 1926, on the basis of which the median line in the Evros River Delta was determined.

In essence, it requires a change in land boundaries, since the median line is determined on their basis. In particular, the dispute began in connection with the scientific research of the vessel “R/V Alkyon” announced by Athens in the mouth of Evros, where Ankara does not recognize Greek territorial waters, NAVTEX announced.

“It is located close to and within the lateral maritime border between Greece and Turkey, which has not yet been delimited.”, – said NAVTEX at the Smyrna station. This is the first time the Turks make such a statement, and they call the corresponding Greek NAVTEX 091/24 “unreliable”although other identical messages have been released in the past without any response.

The Turks have not yet openly contested the middle line at the mouth of the Evros, which, of course, is due to the special status of the land border, which remains unchanged, regardless of the movement of the river bed and delta. The question arises whether it is a coincidence that they decided “to uncover” and this is a statement.

Obviously not, since Greek-Turkish dialogue and negotiations are supposedly underway (the topic is unknown, since the Mitsotakis government does not inform anyone). Thus, the Turks, having the experience of centuries of diplomacy accumulated in the Ottoman Empire, negotiate with the help of a kind of “probing” of the other side, checking how Greece will react. They constantly come up with new questions and new requirements in order to get as many preferences as possible.

The Greek side has no demands, it is not asking for anything, and all that is being negotiated is Greece's sovereign rights. However, playing on defense most often ends in defeat. Doesn’t the Greek Foreign Ministry know this?

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