The implementation of Greek supremacy in the Archipelago of the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea

Greek supremacy over the Aegean Archipelago has been and is still exercised, according to historical Greek titles, Greek cultural tradition, social, economic and administrative organization of life, religious faith, language, education, moral standards, customs and the entire network of Greek heritage and its expression.

No discrimination has ever been made against any island, islet, skerry, or even the smallest of rocks regarding rights as well as obligations.  On the contrary, they have always constituted and continue to constitute as a whole, a unified political and economic entity, the historical foundations of which have been and continue to be Greek.  

The sea does not divide the Greek mainland from the approximately 2,800 islands, islets and other rocks of the Greek Archipelago of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, it unites them into a uniform cultural, social, economic and administrative unit.

This unity has molded the physiognomy of the Greek people, has shaped their history, has defined the geographical position of Greece and the destiny of its people for thousands of years  

The Archipelago of the Aegean Sea

The liberation of the Aegean Archipelago constituted one of the main aims of the Greek Revolution in 1821.  Greek seafarers and naval officers, with their unsurpassable ability and experience, vanquished the in many cases more powerful Turkish naval forces, and decisively contributed to the liberation and rebirth of the Greek Nation.

With the London Protocol of the 22^nd of January and 3^rd February 1830, which constitutes one of the main international, contractual documents acknowledging the new Greek State and especially article 2, where it is determined that a total of 2,100 islands, islets, skerries and other rocks belong to Greece.  With this international “certificate” the New Greek State was attributed, from its birth, the status of Archipelagos and its long standing naval substance and heritage was acknowledged. 

Moreover, with the London Protocol of the 18^th and 30^th of August 1832, the Greek-Turkish boarder line of supremacy over the islands etc., was officially set.  More autonomy was granted to Samos, under the suzerainty of the Sultan, to which the Samians reacted strongly and violently, demanding their union with Greece.

Crete, the homeland of Zeus and the Minoan Civilization, had also launched a series of revolutionary battles aimed at expelling the Turkish conquerors, before as well as after 1821.

After the determining revolutionary battle of Therisus in 1905, the union of Crete to Greece was declared by Eleftherios Venizelos in 1908.  This union was essentially manifested during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 and formally so with the London Treaty on the 17^th and 30^th of May 1913.  

The victorious, for Greece, outcome of the Balkan Wars and naval battles fought by the battleships “Elli” and “Limnos”, specifically in December of 1912, during which the Greek navy lead by Admiral P. Kountouriotis aboard the legendary warship “G. Averof”, crushed the Turkish navy, resulted mainly in the liberation of all the islands, islets, skerries and other small rocks of the Northern, Northeastern and Eastern Aegean, without exception.

With the London Treaty on the 17^th and 30^th of May 1913, the Athens Treaty on the 1^st and 14^th of November 1914, which was validated by law no.ΔΣΙΓ’(4213), and with the Resolution-Note of the Six Powers who took part in the London Conference on the 31^st of January and 13^th of February 1914 (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain and Russia), it was declared that Greece held the definitive supremacy over the islands of the Aegean it possessed, with the exception of the islands Imbros and Tenedos and the islets Lagouses, which were yielded to Turkey due to the fact that they were located in close proximity to the Dardanelles.

With the London Treaty on the 17^th and 30^th of May1913, article 4, the unification of Samos as well as Crete with Greece was confirmed, as mentioned above.

In all, from 1912-1913, approximately 230 Greek islands were liberated and united with Greece.  This union was acknowledged by the Great Powers of the time, as was also mentioned above.

A few years later, in 1923, The Lausanne Treaty was signed.  This treaty verified the Resolution-Note of the Six Powers who took part in the London Conference on the 31^st of January and 13^th of February 1914 and confirmed the definitive supremacy of Greece over the islands, islets, skerries and other small rocks of the Archipelago, which had been liberated during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913.  These treaties also defined, with clear geographical boundaries, which allow for no misconception whatsoever, the islets, etc., which since then have gone under Turkish supremacy, as it also defined the main islands which were yielded.  With this same international treaty, the mainland boundaries between the two countries were also defined.

It should be noted here that the Lausanne Treaty was drawn up and came into effect after the disadvantageous for Greece outcome of the Asia Minor Expedition (1919-1922).  It was signed, apart from Greece and Turkey, by France, Japan, Italy and Rumania.

The unification of the Dodecanese and Kastellorizos The Turkish-Italian agreements in 1932 and the Peace Treaty of 1947 Turkey acknowledged the Italian occupation of Kastellorizos and the Dodecanese with the Peace Treaty of Ousi on the 15^th and 18^th of October 1912, by which it forfeited every right and title to Italy.  With the Lausanne Treaty in 1923, article 15, Turkey did the same regarding the islands Astipalaia, Rhodes, Chalki, Karpathos, Kassos, Tilos, Nisyros, Kaymnos, Leros Patmos, Leipsoi, Symi and Kos, as well as the dependant islets.  This included Kastellorizo.

Italy and Turkey proceeded to chart a zig-zaged sea line, initially around the group of islands and islets of Kastellorizos and subsequently around the group of islands and islets of the Dodecanese.  The 51 peaks of this zig-zagged boundary line, which streches from the south of Samos to Kastellorizos, as well as its track in this area of sea were depicted on the Italian naval map no. 624, the French naval map no. 5551 and the British naval map no.236, regarding the area of Kastellorizos and maps no.236, 872 and 1456, regarding the area of the Dodecanese.

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Dodecanese and Kastellorizos were both given to Greece by the Allied Forces as homage paid for Greece’s contribution to the war effort at their side, which resulted in the dramatic loss of military and civilian life, devastation and destruction as well as other consequences of war.

This constituted both national justification and completion for Greece.

Indeed, with the Paris Peace Treaty between the Allied Forces and the Coalition of Forces and Italy, on the 10^th of February 1947, article 14, Italy forfeited the Islands of the Dodecanese to Greece which was granted full supremacy.

The annexation was formally completed with the passing of Greek law no. 518 on the 3^rd of January 1948.        

With the annexation of the Dodecanese and Kastellorizos, the circle of the reacquisition of Greek supremacy over the islands and islets of the Archipelagos of the Aegean, which began with the Greek Revolution in 1821, continued with the union of Crete and its island group after the uprising in Therisos in 1905, and the liberation of the island groups in the Northern, Northeastern and Eastern Aegean after the victorious outcome of the Balkan Wars in 1912-1913, finally came to a close.  The Archipelagos was once again under Greek supremacy as it had been since antiquity, with the exception of those islands, islets and rocks which were given to Turkey by the Great Powers of the time via specific treaties.  These same treaties constitute the “deed” of reacquisition of supremacy over the Archipelagos for Greece.  In conjunction with the long standing historical truths and following the many struggles, battles and sacrifices of contemporary Greece, the link to the nation’s historical past was reconnected, after a huge national effort, of128 years, for freedom, justification and completeness.

Today the Aegean fully meets the standards of International Regulations so as to be characterized as “Archipelagos” de jour (by law}.  In accordance with International Law and the terms pertaining to islands, each island of the Aegean Archipelagos, regardless of size, location, or any other criteria, is entitled to the same coastline and seaboard as well as an exclusive economic sea zone and insular shelf, which all other coastal areas of Greece are entitled to.

The reacquisition of Greek supremacy over the islands of the Ionian Sea and the Gulfs of Patras and Corinth  

Greek supremacy over the islands, islets skerries and rocks of the Ionian Sea was re acquired with the ceasing of the English governorship in the Eptanesos and its union with Greece via decree on the 12^th of May and 2^nd June 1864, following a series of struggles and battles for unity given by the Eptanesians as well as the Greek State.

Greek supremacy over the islands and islets of the Gulfs of Patras and Corinth was regained with the revolutionary battles in Peloponnesus and Central Greece and was internationally recognized with the contractual international recognition of the new Greek State, as mentioned above.

In accordance with International Law and the terms pertaining to islands, each island of the Ionian Sea, regardless of size, location, or any other criteria, is entitled to the same coastline and seaboard as well as an exclusive economic sea zone and insular shelf, which all other coastal areas of Greece are entitled to.