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INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey)

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Greece
Turkey

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Provisional measures
Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility

Overview of the case

On 10 August 1976, Greece instituted proceedings against Turkey in a dispute over the Aegean Sea continental shelf. It asked the Court in particular to declare that the Greek islands in the area were entitled to their lawful portion of continental shelf and to delimit the respective parts of that shelf appertaining to Greece and Turkey. At the same time, it requested provisional measures indicating that, pending the Court’s judgment, neither State should, without the other’s consent, engage in exploration or research with respect to the shelf in question. On 11 September 1976, the Court found that the indication of such measures was not required and, as Turkey had denied that the Court was competent, ordered that the proceedings should first concern the question of jurisdiction. In a Judgment delivered on 19 December 1978, the Court found that jurisdiction to deal with the case was not conferred upon it by either of the two instruments relied upon by Greece : the application of the General Act for Pacific Settlement of International Disputes (Geneva, 1928) — whether or not it was in force — was excluded by the effect of a reservation made by Greece upon accession, while the Greco-Turkish press communiqué of 31 May 1975 did not contain an agreement binding upon either State to accept the unilateral referral of the dispute to the Court.

This overview is provided for information only and in no way involves the responsibility of the Court.

Institution of proceedings

Application instituting proceedings

10 August 1976

Available in:

Written proceedings

Request for the indication of Interim Measures of Protection submitted by the Government of Greece

10 August 1976

Procedure(s): Provisional measures

Available in:

Observations of the Government of Turkey on the Request by the Government of Greece for Provisional Measures of Protection

26 August 1976

Procedure(s): Provisional measures

Available in:

Memorial of Greece (Question of Jurisdiction)
(French version only)

18 July 1977

Procedure(s): Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility

Available in:

Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 1976

Oral arguments on the Request for the indication of Interim Measures of Protection - Minutes of the Public Sittings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 25 to 27 August and on 11 September 1976, President Jiménez de Aréchaga presiding

Procedure(s): Provisional measures

Available in:

Original Language

Verbatim record 1978

Oral Arguments on Jurisdiction - Minutes of the Public Sittings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 9 to 17 October and on 19 December 1978, President Jiménez de Aréchaga presiding

Procedure(s): Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility

Available in:

Original Language

Other documents

Documents submitted to the Court after the filing of the Memorial

18 August 1976

Available in:

Documents submitted to the Court after the filing of the Request for the Indication of Interim Measures of Protection
(French version only)

24 August 1976

Available in:

Written answer of Greece to the question posed by Judge Lachs on 27 August 1976

28 September 1976

Available in:

Orders

Order of 11 September 1976

Request for the Indication of Interim Measures of Protection

Procedure(s): Provisional measures

Available in:

English French Bilingual

Order of 14 October 1976

Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial

Available in:

English French Bilingual

Order of 18 April 1977

Extension of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial

Available in:

English French Bilingual

Judgments

Judgment of 19 December 1978

Jurisdiction of the Court

Procedure(s): Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility

Available in:

English French Bilingual

Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary 1976/1

Summary of the Order of 11 September 1976

Available in:

Summary 1978/1

Summary of the Judgment of 19 December 1978

Available in:

Press releases

Press release 1976/2
(French version only)

10 August 1976

La Grèce dépose une requête contre la Turquie (French version only)

Available in:

Press release 1976/3
(French version only)

12 August 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée (Grèce c. Turquie) - La Cour tiendra une séance privée le lundi 16 août 1976 (French version only)

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Press release 1976/4
(French version only)

19 August 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée - L'audience sur la demande en indication de mesures conservatoires se tiendra le mercredi 25 août 1976 (French version only)

Available in:

Press release 1976/5
(French version only)

25 August 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée - Audience publique du 25 août 1976 (French version only)

Available in:

Press release 1976/6
(French version only)

26 August 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée - Audience du 26 août 1976 (French version only)

Available in:

Press release 1976/7
(French version only)

27 August 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée - Audience du 27 août 1976 (French version only)

Available in:

Press release 1976/8
(French version only)

8 September 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée - La Cour rendra sa décision sur la demande en indication de mesures conservatoires le samedi 11 septembre 1976 (French version only)

Available in:

Press release 1976/9
(French version only)

11 September 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée (Grèce c. Turquie) - La Cour décide de ne pas indiquer de mesures conservatoires (French version only)

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Press release 1976/10
(French version only)

14 October 1976

Plateau continental de la mer Egée (Grèce c. Turquie) - Le Président de la Cour fixe des délais pour la procédure orale (French version only)

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Press release 1977/2

18 April 1977

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - The Court extends time-limits for written proceedings

Available in:

Press release 1977/4

18 July 1977

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - Filing of Memorial by Government of Greece

Available in:

Press release 1978/2

25 April 1978

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - Date for the opening of hearings on the question of the Court's jurisdiction

Available in:

Press release 1978/4

3 October 1978

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - Oral proceedings

Available in:

Press release 1978/5

4 October 1978

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - Opening of oral proceedings

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Press release 1978/6

17 October 1978

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - Closure of oral proceedings

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Press release 1978/8

14 December 1978

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - The Court will deliver its Judgment on the question of its jurisdiction on Tuesday 19 December 1978

Available in:

Press release 1978/9

19 December 1978

Aegean Sea Continental Shelf (Greece v. Turkey) - Judgment on the question of the Court's jurisdiction

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Correspondence

Correspondence

10 August 1976

Correspondence

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