Remembering and Forgetting 1974
Turkey and Greece have a long history of disputes and conflicts over issues that have often escalated into diplomatic crises, military tensions, and even armed confrontations. Solving the Cyprus issue would accelerate solving many issues among Turkey and Greece, as it would create a positive atmosphere of cooperation and dialogue, and reduce the security dilemmas and the risk of confrontation. Colin Smith, a military historian, has summarized the essence of the problem: “The Cyprus issue cannot be solved as long as Greeks do not remember what happened before 1974, Turks do not forget after 1974. It is a tragedy all around.” Many confrontations provoke Cyprus issues, which include the maritime boundaries, the airspace, and the FIR line.
Firstly, one of the most legitimate issues that would occur among any 2 countries in such a geographic location is maritime boundaries. This issue involves the determination of the territorial waters, the exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and the continental shelves of the two countries. Secondly, maritime boundaries issue also lead to the airspace issue. According to international law, territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles from a country’s coast, and the airspace above them also belongs to that country. However, Turkey claims that its airspace is only 6 nautical miles wide, while Greece asserts its right to 12 nautical miles. This creates a conflict when Turkish military aircraft fly over the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, which are close to the Turkish mainland. Turkey argues that it is exercising its freedom of flight in international airspace, while Greece accuses Turkey of violating its airspace and national sovereignty.
Moreover, Greece has deployed military forces and equipment on some islands, which Turkey considers a breach of the Treaty of Lausanne and the Treaty of Paris, which demilitarized the islands after World War I and II. The situation is further complicated by the rapid advancement of technology, which has made planes faster and more agile. Any sudden or aggressive maneuvers by Turkish aircraft over the Aegean Sea could be interpreted as a threat or a provocation by Greece. This conflict also entails Greece abusing its FIR responsibility over the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, by treating it as a national boundary. Greece claims that all military aircraft entering the Athens FIR, which covers most of the international airspace in the region, should submit flight plans and come under the control of Greek authorities. Turkey rejects this claim, as it violates the freedom of overflight and the principle of non-interference in international airspace.
In conclusion, Turkey and Greece’s geographical location entail legitimate disputing areas in foreign policy, mostly consisting of the Cyprus issue. This problem can be partly solved by focusing on the maritime boundaries, airspace, and FIR lines.
