Greek coastal Islands vs Turkish costal Islands Confusion

[Reality Check]

Most people think of Greece as a country West of the Aegean Sea (located in Europe) and Turkey as a country East of the Aegean Sea (Located in Asia).

In most peoples minds the huge Aegean Sea forms the natural border between Greece and Turkey with a very small land border near the Bosporus straights between Greece and the tiny European portion of Turkey.

Thus, most people would think coastal Islands on the West side of the Aegean Sea ( in Europe ) would be Greek Islands and coastal islands on the East Side of the Aegean Sea ( in Asia ), near Turkey, would be Turkish Islands. Most people would also believe that Islands with Greek sovereignty would be in Europe, and islands on the Asian side of the Aegean sea would have Turkish sovereignty.

Most people would be wrong.

The two Greek Islands ( of the many Greek Islands on the Eastern Side of the Aegean Sea, next to Turkey, all such islands being located in Asia ) that are most in the news are shown on the following maps along with their locations relative to the Greek mainland (Europe) and the Turkish mainland (Asia):

Greek Island of Kos: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kos/@ ... f8469bdcdd

Greek Island of Lesbos (also called Lesvos or Mitilini): https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lesbo ... 01b32663e7

The coastal Islands on the West side of the Aegean Sea ( near the Greek mainland ) are Greek Islands then you have the International waters of the huge Aegean Sea, then you again have coastal Islands, in Asia, just off the Turkish Coast which are also Greek Islands (located in Asia). Then you have a very few miles of water between these Greek Islands (located in Asia ) and the Turkish Mainland (also in Asia).

How close to Turkey are the Greek Islands ( located just off the Coast of Turkey ) ???

They are so close that there are no international waters between the Greek Islands on the Eastern side of the Aegean Sea, in Asia, and the Turkish Mainland ( also in Asia).

The waters between the Greek Islands on the Eastern Side of the Aegean Sea ( in Asia ) and the Turkish Mainland ( also in Asia) are equally divided between sovereign Greek waters and sovereign Turkish waters.

The two Greek Islands ( of the many Greek Islands on the Eastern Side of the Aegean Sea, next to Turkey, all such islands being located in Asia ) that are most in the news are shown on the following maps along with their locations relative to the Greek mainland (Europe) and the Turkish mainland (Asia):

Greek Island of Kos: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kos/@ ... f8469bdcdd

Greek Island of Lesbos (also called Lesvos or Mitilini):https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lesbo ... 01b32663e7

So when you read, hear, or see the media reports that refugees are so desperate they are crossing the Aegean Sea to reach the Greek Island of Kos or the Greek Island of Lesbos, keep in mind what they are really doing is. at most, is crossing a few ( single digit ) numbers of miles of coastal waters, or, at least, riding most of the way on a large Turkish boat and then taking a small rubber raft a very, very short distance to the shore of the Greek Island of Kos or to the shore of the Greek Island of Lesbos, both Islands coastal Islands, on the east side of the Aegean Sea, in Asia, just off the coast of Turkey.

Also keep in mind, when you hear of a boating accident on the Turkish coast, or a boating accident on a Greek island, that may just be a Turkish boating accident on the Turkish coast, and have nothing to do with war refugees.

How do the "potential war refugees" get from the Turkish coastal Island of Lesbos ( Greek territory ) or the Turkish coastal Island of Kos ( Greek Territory ), to the Greek mainland across the huge Aegean Sea ??? How are the "potential war refugees" getting from Asia to Europe ???

The Greek government is giving them ( the potential war refugees ) a free ride on a Greek Ocean going Ferry, across the huge Aegean Sea, this is how they are getting from Asia into Europe ( as invitees of the Greek government ), so they can travel through the Greek mainland, and through the countries of Macedonia, Serbia, ( and possibly now Croatia ) and so they can apply for asylum as war refugees at the border of Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, or Germany. They, the potential war refugees should, by treaty, be made by Greece to apply for asylum as war refugees in Greece ( which, along with Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia is a member of the Schenden Area and Greece is a signatory of the Schenden Treaty ) but Greece avoids the responsibilities that go along with processing and granting, or processing and rejecting, the applications for asylum as Greece is required to do by the Schenden Treaty, and instead, in violation of the Schenden Treaty, just allows the "potential war refugees" to pass through Greece on their way to Central Europe, Northern Europe, or Western Europe. When they leave Greece by land, they also leave the Schenden Area.

The countries included in the Schengen Treaty AREA are best understood with this BBC map: http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpspro ... es_624.png