Symi Island in the Dodecanese was among the Greek islands depicted as being Turkish. Public Domain

An EU map depicting Greece’s eastern Aegean and Dodecanese islands as belonging to Turkey has sparked strong reactions in Athens.

The issue is particularly sensitive given Athens’ long-standing maritime disputes with Ankara over maritime zones in the Aegean Sea. Turkey has long disputed the sovereignty of the territorial waters of the Aegean Sea, a region believed to hold significant energy reserves.

The Commission’s “Let’s explore Europe!” brochure – published annually and offering general information about the EU – included a map of Europe in which the Aegean islands appeared in Turkish colors.

The controversial EU map. Credit: European Commission

EU blames “technical error” for the map

A Commission spokesperson described the map as a “regrettable technical error” and said the publication had been immediately withdrawn from all online platforms pending correction.

Asked who was responsible, the spokesperson noted that several teams contribute to such material, adding that internal procedures would be reviewed.

“Our services have robust systems in place to prevent errors. When errors happen, they are acted upon swiftly and internal processes are reviewed to prevent them from occurring again, as in the case of this regrettable error,” the official said.

Nevertheless, Greece is fuming. The Greek foreign ministry protested with the Commission’s Director-General for Communication, Dana Spinant, who apologized and assured Athens the incident would not be repeated, according to Greek government sources.