A letter signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, obtained and published by Nordic Monitor based in Stockholm, confirms secret negotiations between Turkey and Syria regarding maritime border demarcation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The document reveals that Turkish institutions have been instructed to draft an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) agreement with Syria following a potential regime change in Damascus.
The letter emphasizes efforts to coordinate with relevant institutions to define maritime borders and jurisdictional areas beyond territorial waters, aiming to protect Turkey’s rights and those of the so-called ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC). Fidan wrote, “With the fall of the Assad regime and the transfer of power to a transitional government, we are making efforts to establish maritime boundaries with Syria in a way that safeguards our national interests.”
Fidan also reiterated Turkey’s commitment to defending the TRNC’s rights in any future maritime delimitation deal with Syria. This letter marks the first official confirmation that preparations for such an agreement are already underway.
“The European Union has no right to comment on a possible agreement between two sovereign states concerning their maritime jurisdictions,” Fidan stressed in the letter dated June 16, addressed to the Office of the President of the Turkish Parliament.
An EEZ agreement between Turkey and Syria could significantly alter the geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is already embroiled in disputes involving Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. Given the region’s complex history and overlapping maritime claims, any agreement between Ankara and Damascus could further escalate tensions with Athens and Nicosia.
Turkey has long opposed the maritime delimitation agreements signed by Cyprus with Egypt in 2003, Lebanon in 2007, and Israel in 2010, claiming these deals violate the rights of the TRNC.