In his speech to the Moroccan people commemorating the "Throne Day" on 30 July 2002, the King of Morocco used the name "Tura" exclusively, when he mentioned the armed incident with Spain over the island.

V. Bérnard identified Perejil with the mythical island of Ogygia where one of the daughters of Atlas, Calypso, detained Odysseus for seven years, according to the myth.

[5] In 1415, Portugal, along with the reconquest of Ceuta (Part of the old Hispania Tangeriana), took possession of the nearby islet from the Marinid Sultanate, a predecessor to the current state of Morocco.

After protests from the Spanish government, led by Prime Minister José María Aznar, Morocco replaced the soldiers with cadets from the Moroccan Navy, who then installed a fixed base on the island.

Almost all European Union member states fully supported Spain's objections,[citation needed] with the exception of France and Portugal, whose government issued a statement regretting the incident.

[citation needed] Morocco's claims had official support from the Arab League, except for Algeria, which restated its recognition of Spanish sovereignty over the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

The crisis over Perejil Island was seen by the Spanish government as a way for Morocco to test the waters in regard to Spain's will to defend Ceuta and Melilla.