The Aegean Sea dispute : legal implications and consequences

Abstract

The Aegean Sea is a semi-enclosed sub-sea of the Mediterranean Sea, situated between the Greek and Turkish States. For over a century, the two States have been at odds over several issues regarding the status of the Aegean. Despite the numerous international treaties regulating the marine territories and many attempts at negotiation and equitable resolution, the two States have come to the brink of war on numerous occasions. This dissertation will analyse a century-long dispute and attempt to explore possible avenues for an equitable resolution under the principles of international law. The main issues to be examined are the delimitation of the Continental Shelf, which was the main issue brought before the International Court of Justice in 1976, and the breadth of the territorial sea, which issues were magnified by the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Nevertheless, through exploration of similar caselaw, this dissertation will attempt to identify what needs to be done in order for the Aegean to achieve a long-lasting peace, and for relations between the two coastal States to improve.