Turkey is ready to discuss with Greece the size of its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, which Athens has used to object to Ankara securing greater access for its industries to the EU’s €150 billion military procurement loan instrument.
Currently, Turkish manufacturers can only produce up to 35% of the cost of components of a final product purchased through the scheme. Eligible products purchased with SAFE defence loans must have at least 65% of their components’ costs manufactured in the EU, Norway, or Ukraine.
Ankara applied in June to give its arms makers greater access to deals funded by the loans, Turkey’s permanent delegation to the EU wrote Euractiv on Tuesday.
But Greece and Cyprus have opposed Ankara’s bid. And while defence decisions can be taken by qualified majority, in practice EU capitals usually wait for consensus, making approval for Ankara a distant dream.
“Türkiye, as always, is ready and willing to discuss interconnected Aegean issues with Greece, including the breadth of territorial sea in the Aegean Sea, which is six nautical miles for both countries at present,” the permanent delegation said.
Turkey and Greece have long disputed territorial waters in the Aegean Sea – a region believed to contain substantial energy reserves. Greece cites the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), under which it is entitled to claim a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. However, Turkey – which has not ratified UNCLOS – has threatened Greece with war (casus belli) should it take such a step.
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The Greek authorities argue that Europe cannot rely on a third country which threatens an EU member state. The Turkish permanent delegation says Athens has “misconceptualised” the war threat and urges the Commission and EU member states to prioritise “mutual interests, not political prejudice.”
No threat against Cyprus
A second objection to Turkish SAFE access comes from Cyprus which, together with Greece, opposes Turkey’s presence in the island’s north. The Turkish EU delegation said the country posed “no threat” to Nicosia, as “what the Greek Cypriots perceive as a “threat” is Türkiye’s effective guarantee of the security and well-being of the Turkish Cypriots in the face of Greek Cypriot aims to Hellenise the entire island.”
Negotiations with the Commission have yet to start, as EU officials are still reviewing Ankara’s application.
Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides said ahead of October’s EU leaders meeting that Cyprus’ position had been adopted to keep Turkey out of the scheme.
The UK and Canada are so far the most advanced countries to have applied for greater access to SAFE. But while negotiations are not tied to any diplomatic disputes, talks have slowed over the size of the entry fee the two countries should pay in return for greater access to deals funded through the loans.
(cp, sm)