The Law confirming Republic of Türkiye’s party status to the “The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement)” was published in the Official Gazette dated 27 December 2025. Subsequently, the Presidential Decree on the ratification of the BBNJ Agreement was published in the Official Gazette dated 31 December 2025.

Türkiye’s accession to the BBNJ Agreement, together with its declarations, was notified to the United Nations on 16 January 2026. Under Article 68, paragraph 2 of the Agreement, it shall enter into force 30 days after the notification to the United Nations that the process of becoming a party has been completed. In this context, the BBNJ Agreement will enter into force in Türkiye on 15 February 2026.

The declaration submitted to the United Nations at the time of notification emphasized that Türkiye’s accession to the BBNJ Agreement would not affect the country’s status as a non-party to the UNCLOS and related instruments, in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 3 of the Agreement, and would not constitute a change in its legal position. It was stated that the provisions of the Agreement cannot be interpreted in a manner that would undermine Türkiye’s sovereign rights, jurisdiction, and obligations as a coastal state, and that references to coastal states in the text are understood as equivalent rights under customary international law for countries that are not parties to the UNCLOS. Additionally, the term “areas outside the national jurisdiction” refers to the high seas beyond the 200 nautical mile baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, and that the “Area” is covered. The International Court of Justice is preferred for dispute resolution.