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:
English
French
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:
English
Procedure(s): Provisional measures
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:
English
Procedure(s): Provisional measures
Memorial of Greece (Question of Jurisdiction)
(French version only)
18 July 1977
Procedure(s):
Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Available in:
French
(French version only)
Procedure(s): Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
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
Procedure(s): Provisional measures
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
Procedure(s): Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Other documents
Documents submitted to the Court after the filing of the Memorial
18 August 1976
Available in:
English
French
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:
French
(French version only)
Written answer of Greece to the question posed by Judge Lachs on 27 August 1976
28 September 1976
Available in:
English
Orders
Order of 11 September 1976
Request for the Indication of Interim Measures of Protection
Procedure(s):
Provisional measures
Available in:
English
French
Bilingual
Procedure(s): Provisional measures
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
Procedure(s): Questions of jurisdiction and/or admissibility
Summaries of Judgments and Orders
Summary 1976/1
Summary of the Order of 11 September 1976
Available in:
English
French
Summary 1978/1
Summary of the Judgment of 19 December 1978
Available in:
English
French
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:
French
(French version only)
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)
Available in:
French
(French version only)
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:
French
(French version only)
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:
French
(French version only)
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:
French
(French version only)
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:
French
(French version only)
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:
French
(French version only)
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)
Available in:
French
(French version only)
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)
Available in:
French
(French version only)