Germany’s Position on the Greek-Turkish Dispute: Intergovernmental Theory vs. Neofunctionalism

Issue

Position of Turkey

Position of Greece

The continental shelf

1. Objection to the islands being an extension of Anatolia.

2. Rejection of the principle of equidistance.

3. The delimitation agreement.

4. The achievement of an equal result in the use of the continental shelf by both States

1. In the absence of an agreement between the neighboring countries, the dispute should be settled along the middle line between the Greek islands of the East Aegean and the Turkish coast.

2. The Greek islands are a direct extension of Anatolia

Territorial waters

Maintaining a limit of 6 miles of territorial waters (having 6 miles, Greece controls almost half of the Aegean Sea, 43.68 % according to the Turkey information, while Turkey receives only 7.5 %, leaving the open sea-about 49 %)

1. Claims a limit of 12 miles of territorial waters (does not want to consult with Turkey on this issue, referring to the Convention on the Law of the Sea).

2. The right to an extension cannot be qualified by special circumstances limiting this right

National airspace

Preventing Greek expansion in the airspace, in order to prevent the strengthening of Greek influence in the Aegean Sea as a whole

Claims for 10 miles of airspace, which is not only due to the need for air navigation and air police control over Greek territorial waters, but also because Turkey did not object to this provision (estoppel)

Demilitarized status of the eastern Aegean islands

1. Against the militarization of the Greek islands of Lemnos and Samothrace, since both Turkey and Greece are members of NATO, therefore, this region does not require excessive weapons in order to strengthen national security.

2. The demilitarization of the 14 Greek Dodecanese islands is mandatory, as they are too close to Turkey, which threatens its national security

 1. Support for the militarization of the islands of Lemnos and Samothrace, since the Montreux Convention of 1936 replaced the Lausanne Convention of 1923.

2. The militarization of the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria (Ikaria) is necessary for several reasons:

¾   Turkey’s “incursions” and the ongoing “occupation” of Cyprus;

¾   casus belli (i.e. “Turkish military threat”) looming over the Aegean Sea;

¾   formation 4th Turkish Army based in Izmir;

¾   presence in this region has a large flotilla of Turkish landing crafts

Criteria

Neofunctionalism

Intergovernmental theory

Basic principles

Democratic pluralism, functionalism

Liberal institutionalism and other integration theories

Main actor

Supranational institutions

National States participating in integration

The state

Conceptualization of the state as an arena in which public actors act to realize common interests

States voluntarily enter into alliances, forming interdependence, but retain national interest and sovereignty

International system

Voluntary interaction of subjects to achieve mutually beneficial integration conditions

International cooperation as a product of national preferences of Liberal democracies, taking into account their interests

Integration process

Through progressive integration (from the economic to the political spheres), to achieve serious success at all levels, including consolidating efforts in security issues

Consolidation of efforts only in basic issues, for example, economic, political and security, it is impossible to achieve success, because it affects national interests