The 1932 Italy-Turkey Agreement: Defining Borders In The Aegean, Sovereignty Over Kekova, Meis, And Kara Ada – OpEd

Blue cruises around Kekova Island, departing from Kaş and Üçağız ports in southern Turkey, have long been a popular activity. This region is a significant geographical point shaped by historical events. In 1912, when Italy occupied the island of Meis (Kastellorizo), Kekova Island also became a strategic area.

At the time, Kekova was only temporarily used for wood harvesting in the summer, but the Italians landed there and established a military post. They stationed soldiers, making the island a point of contention between Turkey and Italy for years. However, with the signing of the Italy-Turkey Agreement in 1932, Kekova Island was returned to Turkey. Today, on the island’s southern coast facing the open sea, remnants of the abandoned Italian military outpost still stand.

The Status of Meis and the Dodecanese Islands

Meis Island remained under Italian control. After World War II, in 1945, it was offered to Turkey along with the Dodecanese Islands in exchange for certain concessions. However, as these concessions were not met, the island was transferred to Greece as part of Italy’s war reparations.

Foundations and Outcomes of the 1932 Agreement

On January 4, 1932, the agreement was signed in Ankara between Italy’s ambassador Pompeo Aloisi and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Tevfik Rüştü Aras. It aimed to resolve the sovereignty and maritime border issues that arose after the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. The disputes mainly focused on the demarcation of territorial waters and the status of small islets around Meis Island, which had been under Italian control since 1921. The agreement clarified these boundaries, with islets within Meis harbor and the further outlying Rho and Strongili islands ceded to Italy, while other nearby small islets were given to Turkey. This settlement significantly contributed to clarifying the sovereignty rights of both countries.

Sovereignty Over Kara Ada and the Agreement’s Supplementary Protocol

The agreement included both Italian and Turkish names for islands in the Bodrum Peninsula region. In addition, Italy officially recognized Turkish sovereignty over Kara Ada (Greek: Arcos), located across from Bodrum, which was of strategic importance for controlling Bodrum Bay. This was seen as a significant gain for Turkey.

In December of the same year, a supplementary protocol was signed to further detail the maritime borders between the Anatolian coast and the Italian-controlled Dodecanese Islands. Thirty-five points were established, equidistant from both nations’ territories.

The 1996 Kardak/Imia Crisis and the Legal Status of the Agreement

However, this supplementary protocol became contentious in the context of Aegean issues after the 1996 Kardak/Imia crisis. Turkey argued that the protocol was never submitted to the League of Nations in Geneva, and therefore, it lacked legal validity. As a result, some islets and rocks in the Dodecanese region remain under disputed sovereignty. Nevertheless, the terms regarding Kara Ada and the Meis area have never been a point of contention.

The 1932 Italy-Turkey Agreement largely resolved border disputes between the two nations and established sovereignty over many islands in the Aegean. However, the unresolved sovereignty issues over certain islets and rocks in the Dodecanese region continue to be a potential source of future disputes.