Turkish pro-government media have raised the idea of building artificial islands and offshore platforms in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean as a way for Ankara to strengthen its maritime presence and advance its claims in areas contested with Greece.
The proposal has so far come from Turkish media and academics, not the Turkish government, and there is no indication that Ankara has formally adopted such a project.
Levent Ersin Orali, a professor at Ankara’s Hacı Bayram Veli University, argued in an article that artificial islands and marine platforms could be considered as part of Turkey’s maritime strategy.
He suggested such structures could strengthen Turkey’s presence in the region and support capabilities including search and rescue operations, particularly around Greek islands such as Kastellorizo and Chios.
A similar proposal was also published by the state controlled Habertürk TV website, which referenced Kastellorizo and what it described as “disputed areas of the Aegean.”
The proposals draw comparisons with China’s construction of artificial islands and military and infrastructure platforms in the South China Sea, although there is currently no indication of a comparable Turkish government programme in the Aegean.
Greece and Turkey remain at odds over maritime boundaries, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone claims, as well as offshore exploration rights in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.
The emergence of the artificial island proposal adds another dimension to the wider debate over Turkey’s maritime strategy and its longstanding disputes with Greece.
