Because of their strategic position near the Dardanelles, the western powers, particularly Britain, insisted at the end of the Balkan Wars in 1913 that the islands should be retained by the Ottoman Empire when the other Aegean islands were ceded to Greece.
In 1920 the Treaty of Sevres following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire granted the islands to Greece. But following the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War, the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 returned them to Turkey.
Gökçeada has a population of about 8,000 and much smaller Bozcaada has a population of about 2,700. The main industries of the islands are fishing and tourism. The population is mostly Turkish but there are still about 1,000 Greeks on Gökçeada and about 100 on Bozcaada. Detailed updated information can be found on Gökçeada's (http://www.gokceada.com) and Bozcaada's (http://www.bozcaada.info) websites.
Bozcaada is a small Turkish island located about 12 miles (19 km) off the western coast of Turkey just south of the Dardanelles (a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Marmora Sea).
Offsetting this bleakness is the characteristic Greek whitewashed town of Bozcaada with its narrow streets and its impressive fortress.
Bozcaada is not filled with casinos or high-rise hotels, rather the island is dotted with small comminutes of whitewashed, one- and sometimes two-story houses, many without heating and intended for summer use only.
Feeds |
Contact