One Answer Imia/Kardak legally belongs to Turkey. Turkey believes that in the provisions in the Treaty of Lausanne where Turkey transferred ownership of certain islands and islets did not include Imia/Kardak and ownership still remains with Turkey.

The crucial point of reference for the assessment of the legal status of the islets, acknowledged as such by both sides, is the Peace Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. With this peace treaty, Turkey confirmed large cessions of former Ottoman territory to Greece and Italy which had been de facto under their control since 1911 or 1913. The chain of the Dodecanese islands, which includes the islands neighbouring Imia/Kardak, were ceded to Italy. Later the rights to these islands were ceded by Italy to Greece with the 1947 Treaty of Paris. However, the Treaty of Lausanne does not mention every single small island by name, but treats them summarily. The European Union supported the legal right of the Greek Republic.