Abstract:

In this article, the territorial waters problem, which is associated with the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in the Aegean Sea within the framework of the Turkey–Greece relation formed with mutual prejudices, is examined in the context of international law. In this context, attention is drawn to the central attribute of the territorial waters conflict in the Aegean Sea, which affects other issues, especially the continental shelf in bilateral relations. In line with this assumption, it is argued that Greece follows a strategy of narrowing Turkey's maritime zones over its territorial waters to restrict the right of access to energy resources under the sea, which is recognized by international law to Turkey not only in the Aegean but also in the Eastern Mediterranean. In this article, firstly, the rules of international law about territorial waters will be examined. Then, the historical background of the problem will be debated, and the legal and political arguments put forward by the parties on the international platforms will be discussed.

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