ABSTRACT

The Aegean dispute between Greece and Turkey centers on the delineation of sovereign rights in the Aegean Sea. The essence of the Aegean dispute is the overlapping Greek and Turkish national interests in the area. For historical reasons, Greek-Turkish relations have been characterized by mistrust and hostility. Moreover, the resolution of the Aegean dispute has been further complicated by the Cyprus dispute which has strained Greco-Turkish relations since the mid-1950s. The continental shelf dispute emerged in the aftermath of the search for oil in the Aegean. Turkey has objected to this claim on the grounds that customary rules and international laws require the airspace to correspond to the territorial sea. According to Turkish official statements, Greece started militarizing the eastern Aegean islands in 1960, and the first Turkish protest was lodged with the Greek government in 1964, soon after the outbreak of civil strife on Cyprus.