RETHINKING THE TERRITORIAL WATERS CONCEPT IN THE CONTEXT OF TURKEY – GREECE RELATIONS IN THE AEGEAN SEA

Considering that two-thirds of the earth is made up of seas and oceans, the importance of the seas and oceans and the reasons for the controversial disputes can be easily understood. Oceans and seas are of great importance in transportation, fishing, underground sources, national security, and energy resources. Recent disputes between the Greek Cypriot Administration of the Southern Cyprus and the Republic of Turkey over gas and oil exploration make it clear that the issue of territorial waters remains important. As a matter of fact, this disagreement seems to be going on even longer. At least this is the widely held opinion. For historical reasons, the Aegean Islands, which border Anatolian lands/territory, which are so close that their lights can be seen at night from the Anatolian shore, are under the sovereignty of Greece. The basis of the territorial waters issue is the distance of the territorial waters indicating the sovereignty in the sea after having accepted that these islands belong to Greece. In this study, I examine the territorial waters issue and try to develop ideas for the past, the present and the future. In my opinion, the disagreement on the territorial waters is an alarming issue that might cause serious problems in the future. Considering the sensitivity of the subject, I try to describe the historical development and the scope of the territorial waters concept and to discuss and exemplify the current situation in the Aegean Sea. Rather than focusing on the specific problems, this study aims to interpret the content of the territorial waters concept. However, a general assessment of the current issues is also included.