Anadolu staff
29 July 2025•Update: 29 July 2025
ANKARA/ISTANBUL
Türkiye declared its participation in the Bogota joint statement of the Hague Group, noting that it was not bound by the references made in the joint statement to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Hague Group's joint statement on July 16 announced new measures to be taken to restrain Israel’s assault on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and defend international law at large.
In a note to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 25, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Türkiye’s participation in the joint declaration does not imply any change in its current legal position regarding UNCLOS, as it placed reservations on the references to the convention in Articles 2 and 3 of the declaration.
Türkiye’s reservation pertains to the references to UNCLOS in Articles 2 and 3 of the statement, which invoke the convention in connection with preventing the transit of various items to Israel.
- Turkish foreign minister explains rationale behind decision
In an interview with Turkish news channel NTV on July 25, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan responded to claims that Türkiye had not signed the joint statement adopted at the Hague Group meeting in Bogota, Colombia.
Fidan pointed out that the final signing date for the statement was Sept. 30, noting that the text included references to the UNCLOS and that Türkiye was not a party to it because the status issue in the Aegean Sea had not been resolved.
Due to the inclusion of a provision related to the UNCLOS, Fidan said that they had consulted with international legal experts, added the necessary reservation, and saw no issue in recognizing the statement with the reservation.
- Türkiye's stance on UNCLOS
The UNCLOS, an international treaty dated Dec. 10, 1982, prepared with the aim of being uniformly applied by all states in the oceans, does not take into account the sensitivities of semi-enclosed seas with unique geographical and historical conditions, such as the Aegean Sea.
Türkiye consistently objects to the provisions of the convention that are contrary to its rights and interests in the Aegean Sea, particularly Article 3 regulating the width of territorial waters, Article 33 regulating the contiguous zone, and Article 121 regulating the regime of islands.
Türkiye is not only cautious about becoming a party to the UNCLOS, but also about any international document that refers directly or indirectly to this convention.
