Abstract:

There are several problems between Turkey and Greece that they can be examined under many separate headings. Problems such as continental shelf, territorial waters, airspace, and not least the Cyprus conflict, have become extremely difficult to deal with as both sides have their own legal arguments. These problems, which have been on the agenda especially since the 1970s, became political and diplomatic crises and continue to be so today as well. Even though it might be assumed that the existing problems have existed since the second half of the 20th century, the origins of these problems go back to the Ottoman Empire and the existence of Greece as an independent state. The main reason for this study is to shed light on the problem of the Aegean Islands—which are scattered in the form of islands, islets, and rocks right in front of the Turkish mainland in the Aegean Sea; remained under Turkish domination for 400 years; creates security concerns from a geopolitical standpoint and can be described as indispensable—and on Greece’s attitude towards the existing problems that goes against international law.

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