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Türkiye is preparing to submit a bill to parliament asserting maritime jurisdiction in disputed areas of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, according to a report by Bloomberg on Friday.
Citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, the report said the proposed legislation would mark the first formal step by Ankara to solidify its claims and officially declare jurisdiction over potential natural gas resources.
This comes amid long-running tensions between Türkiye and Greece over maritime boundaries and energy exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“This country is not one that seeks tension,” Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told parliament on Wednesday.
“But any move ignoring its rights, maritime jurisdiction areas, or the Turkish Cypriots will meet a firm response,” he said.
The Eastern Mediterranean gas dispute intensified following major natural gas discoveries near Cyprus, Egypt and Israel during the 2010s.
Ankara argues that Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration pursue “maximalist” maritime claims that would confine Türkiye to a narrow coastal zone despite having the region’s longest continental coastline.
Türkiye also says Turkish Cypriots are being excluded from hydrocarbon revenues and regional energy cooperation projects.
Greece, meanwhile, maintains that islands are entitled to generate continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rights under international law.
Türkiye rejects that interpretation, arguing maritime boundaries should primarily be measured from mainland coastlines rather than islands.
According to the Bloomberg report, the proposed legislation would formally codify Türkiye’s interpretation of maritime jurisdiction for the first time.
It remains unclear when the bill will be introduced or debated in parliament.
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