As the increasing tension between Turkey and Greece over maritime disagreements in the Eastern Mediterranean has calmed down in recent weeks while diplomatic efforts have gained traction, a former Turkish ambassador to Greece on Saturday suggested that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) could help resolve the dispute.
If all other political routes are exhausted, the ICJ could be helpful in persuading the Greek public to accept a solution on maritime boundaries with Turkey, Hasan Göğüş, who served as an envoy to Greece between 2009 and 2011, wrote in an article for the Greek daily Ta Nea.
Noting that Ankara did not agree to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) while Athens, a signatory, insists on going to the treaty's own international tribunal in Berlin to sort out their differences, Göğüş said the two countries "inevitably have to agree on a 'compromise.'"
"Both Greece and Turkey are of the opinion that they have sound grounds to defend their respective cases in accordance with international law," Göğüş said, explaining that the delimitation of the countries' continental shelves and exclusive economic zones were among the main bilateral issues in the dispute, along with the breadth of their territorial waters, their national airspace above, the demilitarized status of some Greek islands and the sovereignty of insular formations that were not ceded to Greece through valid international agreements.
"However, Greece does not accept the existence of any of those problems with the exception of the continental shelf and introduced reservations to the ICJ's jurisdiction over most of these crucial issues. Isn't it contradictory to advocate the ICJ on one hand and to maintain reservations on its jurisdiction on the other hand?" he asked.
The UNCLOS stipulates that countries with neighboring continental shelves and exclusive economic zones agree among themselves on these maritime boundaries "to achieve an equitable solution," Göğüş said. "That is why President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan has come up with the idea of an international conference for the Eastern Mediterranean in his speech at the 75th U.N. General Assembly."
Göğüş underlined that Turkey never ruled out any means of peaceful settlement, including at the ICJ, based on mutual consent. He said that first, however, the sides had to exhaust other diplomatic means through existing mechanisms.
He asserted that when both sides agreed on a compromise on this issue, he did not believe "any sensible judge" would find it fair for "a tiny island" like Kastellorizo (Megisti-Meis) to generate a maritime jurisdiction area of 40,000 square kilometers (15,444 square miles).
Göğüş added that Turkey's position on the Aegean islands is also supported by numerous international court and arbitration judgments.
"In conclusion, I am an optimist. I hope and believe a solution can be found for the Mediterranean dispute. But the question is how to sell this to the public, especially in Greece. The ICJ might be helpful in that respect."
Tensions have been running high for weeks in the Eastern Mediterranean, as Greece has disputed Turkey's energy exploration.
Turkey sent out drillships to explore for energy on its continental shelf, asserting its own rights in the region, as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Ankara has repeatedly urged for negotiations with no preconditions to reach a fair sharing of the region's resources.
US diplomat hails ‘positive momentum’
Another comment about the increasing diplomatic contact came from the U.S.' top diplomat for Europe, as he on Saturday praised the recent decision to restart dialogue between the two neighbors over the issue of energy exploration.
"We see some positive momentum on the Eastern Med, Turkey is taking the right steps towards moving back to exploratory talks with Greece," Philip T. Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, told Anadolu Agency (AA).
"There is an opportunity to decrease tension, to lower the risks and do that by sitting down together," said Reeker, who took up his post in March 2019.
Reeker arrived in Turkey on Saturday for talks with his Turkish counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean.
His comments came after Turkey and Greece on Thursday reached a "common understanding on general principles" on the Eastern Mediterranean in meetings at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is also set to pay visits to Turkey and Greece next week for talks with senior officials, the military alliance announced Friday.
On Saturday, Reeker met with Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin and is expected to meet with other Turkish officials on Monday.
"The United States and Turkey have a long and strong history as NATO allies, as vital security partners," Reeker said.
The senior diplomat added that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been very clear throughout his term about "the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean" as well as the importance of the U.S.-Turkey relationship.
Last Monday, as part of his visit to Italy, Vatican City and Croatia, Pompeo met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias to discuss bilateral relations as well as recent tensions in the region.
When asked about calls for dialogue over the long-divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Reeker said, "Certainly we continue to call for that, whether any particular party is ready at any particular moment you have to talk to them."
"But that is what we do and try to encourage," he added.
Mentioning Pompeo's visit to the island in August on his way back from a Middle East tour, Reeker said: "He underscored that as well. We want to have a positive relationship with Cyprus; we want to see an end to long-term tensions there. "
"That's good for the region, it's good for Turkey, it's good for Greece, and it's good for all. So we'll continue to encourage that," he added.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the U.K.
