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Türkiye’s maritime planning listed by UNESCO body

Ankara University has submitted Türkiye’s Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) map to UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, making it internationally accessible following relevant approval.

According to a statement from the university, the U.N. agency’s commission officially registered the map and published it on the MSPGlobal platform, granting it international visibility.

“This significant development has elevated the spatial planning of Türkiye’s marine and coastal areas to an internationally recognized and formal status, reinforcing the country’s commitment to sustainable maritime governance,” the statement said.

Initially announced in April, the study — conducted by the university’s National Research Center for Maritime Law — emphasized MSP as a strategic instrument for both preserving marine ecosystems and leveraging their economic potential.

Notably, it marked the first comprehensive study of its kind in Türkiye and aligned with the “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which defines the country’s maritime policy and underscores its sovereign rights over surrounding seas.

In the Aegean Sea, a region historically marked by tensions with Greece, the study adopted the “median line” between the two mainlands as a technical baseline. In the Black Sea, the planning fully overlapped with Türkiye’s declared Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), which are registered with the United Nations and face no contestation.

The next stage of the project will focus on maritime spatial planning for the waters surrounding Turkish Cyprus, with preparatory work already underway.

While the maps featured in the study carry no legal force and are presented purely as scientific assessments within the framework of international law, they serve as a reflection of Türkiye’s maritime perspective.

The listing of the map on the MSPGlobal platform does not constitute a legal recognition but rather represents a scientific and technical publication for international accessibility.

Nevertheless, the map’s publication on June 16 prompted an objection from the Greek Foreign Ministry.

The statement claimed that the Turkish map has no basis in international law, as “it attempts to usurp areas of Greek jurisdiction, and is not addressed to an international organization that imposes an obligation to post relevant maps.”

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