Abstract:

The issue of the Aegean Islands aro seuponinvasion of Dodecanese and Rhodes by the Italians during the Turco-ItalianWar between Italy and the Ottoman Empire in 1912. It continued with the occupation of certain islands by Greece during the Balkan Wars. This situation was partially resolved when the Aegean Islands, save for Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos), were given to Greece as per article 12 of the Treaty of Lausanne dated July 24, 1923, provided that they be demilitarized while Rhodes and Dodecanese were turned over to Italy as perarticle 15. The dispute flared once again between Turkey and Italy on 4 January 1932.  According to the treaty signed by and between Dr. Tevfik Rüştü Bey and Italian Ambassador Pompeo Aloisi in Ankara; 19 out of 30 islets attached to Kara Ada and Megisti, islands located in the Gulf of Bodrum, were left to Turkey; while  11  fell under the rule of Italy.   However, the tension between the two countries heightened once again after Italy's fortification of the island of Laros in 1936. The matter was reopened for discussion when the islands of Thasos, Samothrace, Lemnos, Lesbos, and Chios were occupied by the Germans during World War II and German paratroops landed on the island of Crete in May 1945. All throughout the war, Germany tried to see how the land lies by offering to give the islands to Turkey provided that she joined the war among German ranks. During negotiations carried out in April 1941, Turkey seemed ready to accept the proposal; but towards theend of the war, just as Turkey was prepared to participate on the side of the allied powers, they became ill-disposed towards turning over the Aegean Islands to Turkey. As the Soviet threat strengthened towards the end of the war, Turkey completely renounced its expectations regarding the islands and strived to draw closer with USA and England. At the end of the war, Turkey was not able to attend the Paris negotiations, where the islands were given over to Greece, with reference to the Notion that she was not among the parties to the war.

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