Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 student

2 Professor, of International Law University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Master of Regional Studies from Allame Tabatabaee University

Abstract

In 2020, the Eastern Mediterranean region passed one of its most challenging historical times. The discovery of significant hydrocarbon resources deepened the gap between regional countries’ opinions regarding the delimitation of maritime boundaries, which has been accompanied by the influence of regional and global powers. The existence of oil and gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean increased the competition of coastal states to expand their claimed maritime area to such an extent that they demarcated maritime borders without being neighbors and pushed NATO members: Turkey, France and Greece to the point of military conflict. In the turbulent political situation of the region, the announcement of Türkiye's Blue Homeland doctrine following the signing of an MOU on the maritime boundary between Türkiye and Libya caused protests by some countries. This issue prompted Greece to continue negotiations with Egypt at a faster pace and reach a maritime border agreement. Although the shadow of the political affairs of the regional countries on the agreements is clear, we will try to examine the legal aspects of Türkiye's action in introducing the Blue Homeland from the perspective of international law of the seas and judicial procedure.

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