US: Seville Map has no legal significance

By Dilara Hamit

ANKARA (AA) - The US Embassy in Ankara on Monday said that the country does not consider the Seville Map to have any legal significance.

"With respect to the ‘legal status’ of the Seville map, the United States does not consider the Seville Map to have any legal significance. We understand the European Union does not consider the Seville map to be a legally binding document," according to a statement.

It stressed that the US as a matter of global policy does not take positions on maritime boundary disputes of other states.

"Maritime boundaries are for the states concerned to resolve by agreement on the basis of international law. The United States strongly supports good faith dialogue and negotiation and encourages Greece and Turkey to resume exploratory talks as soon as possible," it added.

Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay last month commented on the Seville Map by Greece and said: "We [Turkey] will not only crush those who have this map on their minds but also tear up this map."

The so-called Seville Map attempts to restrict Turkey’s Mediterranean sovereignty area to 41,000 square kilometers, restraining the country to the shoreline.