The Aegean disputes between Turkey and Greece represent one of the longest-standing contemporary conflicts in existence.These disagreements encompass a wide range of issues, including the seabed, maritime areas and airspace of the Aegean. The territorial status of a number of islands and rocks, as well as specific demilitarization conferred upon Greek islands in the Eastern Aegean under international treaties, is also a matter of dispute. The Aegean disputes, which still remain unresolved, are a major source of tension and conflict in Turkish-Greek relations. The stalemate in reaching a settlement is liable to give rise to new frictions resulting in an acute strain on relations. From time to time the disputes have erupted into crisis bringing the two countries to the verge of confrontation. These disputes are immensely complex and involve a broad range of interrelated issues with complicated political and legal aspects. This study represents the first attempt of its kind, providing in a single volume a comprehensive review and analysis of the legal and political aspects of the Aegean disputes which constitute a unique case study in international law, involving two neighbours in the Aegean that share a unique history and geography.

The delimitation of maritime zones is an important requirement for peaceful relations between neighbouring States. There are numerous examples of areas between States with opposite or adjacent coasts where sovereignty over an island or territory may not be contested but the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone is still pending. Under the Law of the Sea Convention, the delimitation of these zones shall be effected by agreement on the basis of international law. However, the Convention does not offer a definitive answer as to the methods that should be applied. This publication includes contributions by Judges of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, eminent scholars and experienced practitioners. The papers deal with various aspects of maritime delimitation: the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals and their relevance for delimitation, the impact of the Law of the Sea Convention, the role of legal practitioners and diplomatic negotiators, and delimitation under particular geological circumstances and in geographically complex regional situations. It is designed to provide insight and guidance to the complicated process of maritime delimitation.

This study of the Greek-Turkish Aegean dispute book shows that the dispute is resolvable and that the crux of the problem is not the incompatibility of interests but the mutual fears and suspicions, which are deeply rooted in historical memories, real or imagined.

This key work analyses the disputes between Greece and Turkey as to their respective rights in the Aegean Sea, paying particular attention to the claims regarding territorial waters, the continental shelf, and the yet to be declared exclusive maritime zones in the area. While many earlier studies have concentrated on political factors, this study provides an exhaustive analysis of the relevant principles of international law in general and rules and principles of maritime law in particular, identifying the legal principles appropriate to the settlement of the Aegean dispute. With this regard, it makes a detailed examination of all the related aspects of the Aegean Sea and its islands, as well as the legal arguments of Greece and Turkey on the disputes concerned. It also clarifies the prospects for settling the dispute on the basis of international law, either by the two parties involved, or by the intervention of a third party such as the International Court of Justice. As such, it offers an important study of a particular problem, but one that can be used as a case study for other international disagreements.

This book offers a sober, contemplative and comprehensive coverage of Greek–Turkish relations, covering in depth the current political climate, with due regard to the historical dimension. The book includes up-to-date accounts of the traditional areas of unresolved discord (Aegean, minorities, Cyprus, the Patriarchate), with emphasis on why they remain contentious, despite the thaw in Greek–Turkish relations from 1999 until recently. It also covers new topics and challenges that have led to cooperation as well as friction, such as unprecedented economic cooperation, energy resources, or the refugee crisis. Furthermore, the volume deals with the ‘Europeanization’ of Greek–Turkish relations and other facilitating factors as they appeared in the first decade of the 21st century (including the role of civil society) as well as the contrary, ‘de-Europeanization’ from the 2010 onwards, which presages a hazardous downward trend in their relations, often not helped by the media in both countries, which is also examined. This volume will be essential reading to scholars and students of Greek–Turkish relations, more generally Greece and Turkey, and more broadly to the study of South European Politics, European Union politics, security studies and International Relations.

The settlement of the maritime boundary disputes between China and Japan in the East China Sea, and between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea, is politically deadlocked. While diplomatic settlement efforts have been ongoing for the past several decades, neither side in each case appears prepared to back down from its respective maritime and territorial claims. Several incidents at sea have occurred, prompting diplomatic protests, military standoffs, even exchange of fire. The existing status quo is inherently unstable and does not favour either side to the extent that it holds hostage the multiple benefits that could otherwise be generated from the exploitation of the seabed energy and mineral resources in the disputed waters, creating an urgent need for a meaningful discussion on finding a practical way forward. This monograph undertakes a comprehensive analysis of these disputes based on the rules and principles of international law, critically evaluating possible institutional designs of inter-State cooperation over seabed activities in disputed maritime areas and makes recommendations for the prospect of realising joint development regimes in the East China Sea and the Aegean to coordinate the exploration for and exploitation of resources without having resorted previously to boundary delimitation settlement.