IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 199 

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Turkey’s claims of sovereignty 

over islands and islets in the Aegean Sea. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 2, 2007 

Mr. ANDREWS submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Turkey’s 

claims of sovereignty over islands and islets in the Aegean Sea. 

Whereas the maritime boundary between Greece and Turkey 

in the Aegean Sea has been delimited in international law 

as having been agreed, established, and settled; 

Whereas Turkey is claiming sovereignty over numerous islands and islets and unspecified ‘‘gray areas’’ in the Aegean Sea; 

Whereas in article 12 of Treaty of Peace with Turkey and 

Other Instruments, done at Lausanne, Switzerland, on 

July 24, 1923, the sovereignty of Greece was established 

over the islands of the Eastern Mediterranean, other 

than Imuros, Tenedos and Rabbit Islands, the Dodecanese Islands in the Southern Eastern Aegean, and the isVerDate Aug 31 2005 05:00 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC199.IH HC199

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•HCON 199 IH 

lands situated at less than three miles from the Asiatic 

coast, for which no provision to the contrary was contained in such Treaty; 

Whereas in article 15 of the Treaty of Peace with Turkey 

and Other Instruments, done at Lausanne, Switzerland, 

on July 24, 1923, Turkey renounced, in favor of Italy, 

all right, title, and interest in the 12 enumerated islands 

in the Dodecanese region that were occupied by Italy at 

the time of the Treaty, including the island of Calimnos 

and the islets dependent on such islands; 

Whereas the Convention Between Italy and Turkey for the 

Delimitation of the Territorial Waters Between the 

Coasts of Anatolia and the Island of Castellorizo, done at 

Ankara, Turkey, on January 4, 1932, established the 

rights of Italy and Turkey in coastal islands, waters, and 

rocks in the Aegean Sea and delimited a maritime boundary between the two countries; 

Whereas a protocol done at Ankara, Turkey, on December 

28, 1932, and annexed to the 1932 Convention memorialized an agreement on a sea boundary between Italy and 

Turkey, which placed the Imia islets under the sovereignty of Italy; 

Whereas in article 14 of the 1947 Paris Treaty of Peace with 

Italy, Italy ceded to Greece the Dodecanese islands under 

Italy’s control, including the island of Calimnos and the 

adjacent islets of Imia; 

Whereas the United States is a signatory to the 1947 Paris 

Treaty of Peace and all articles therein are a part of the 

law of the United States; 

Whereas because the United States is party to treaty regimes 

that establish sea boundaries, most notably the ConvenVerDate Aug 31 2005 05:00 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC199.IH HC199

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•HCON 199 IH 

tion Ceding Alaska, done at Washington, District of Columbia, on March 30, 1867, which established the sea 

boundary between Alaska and Russia, the United States 

has an interest in maintaining and perpetuating such regimes as a matter of international law; 

Whereas by resolution dated February 15, 1996, the European Parliament resolved that the sea boundaries established in the 1923 Lausanne Treaty of Peace and the 

1932 Convention and Protocol Between Italy and Turkey 

are the borders between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea; 

Whereas the Government of Turkey claims Aegean islands 

within Greek sovereignty and continued violations of 

Greek sovereign airspace and territorial waters by the 

military forces of Turkey contravene the 1923 Lausanne 

Treaty of Peace, the 1932 Convention and Protocol Between Italy and Turkey, and the 1947 Paris Treaty of 

Peace, as well as international law and the Charter of the 

United Nations; 

Whereas a fundamental principle of international law is that, 

once agreed, a boundary remains stable and predictable; 

Whereas the eastern Mediterranean region, in which the Aegean Sea is located, is a region of vital strategic importance to the United States; 

Whereas both Greece and Turkey are members of the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization and allies of the United 

States; and 

Whereas it is in the interest of the United States and other 

nations to resolve disputes peacefully: Now, therefore, be 

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•HCON 199 IH 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) the maritime boundaries established in the 

4 1923 Lausanne Treaty of Peace, the 1932 Conven5 tion and Protocol Between Italy and Turkey, and 

6 the 1947 Paris Treaty of Peace, as well as inter7 national law, under which the Dodecanese islands 

8 and adjacent islets were ceded by Italy to Greece, 

9 are the borders between Greece and Turkey in the 

10 Aegean Sea; and 

11 (2) any party, including Turkey, objecting to 

12 these established boundaries should seek redress in 

13 the International Court of Justice at The Hague. 

Æ 


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