The legal aspect of offshore wind energy activities

This thesis examines offshore wind energy activities within the framework of international law of the sea, setting out the sovereign rights of coastal states over their maritime zones and how such activities should be legally regulated. The study's original contribution lies in its detailed analysis of the relationship between Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and offshore wind energy in the context of Turkish law -an area with limited existing literature in Türkiye- and in its assessment of the legal dimension of the Turkish MSP map declared in 2025. The thesis first outlines the historical development and technical structure of offshore wind energy and then analyses, from a legal perspective, the rights and obligations arising from these activities in different maritime zones, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the continental shelf, the exclusive economic zone, and the high seas. The study also examines how offshore wind energy projects can be integrated with MSP in terms of sustainability, environmental protection, and the prevention of maritime use conflicts; in this context, the MSP practices of China, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Türkiye are comparatively evaluated. In its final section, the thesis presents concrete recommendations for the development of a legal framework to regulate offshore wind energy activities in Türkiye's maritime zones. The research was conducted using document analysis and comparative analysis methods.