The Straits of Corfu or Corfu Channel is the narrow body of water along the coasts of
Albania and
Greece to the east, separating these two countries from the Greek island of
Corfu on the west. The
channel is a passage from the
Adriatic Sea on the north to the
Ionian Sea[1] that is used by
shipping local to Albania and Greece to the ports of
Saranda, Albania, and
Igoumenitsa, Greece, and by local and tourist traffic in Albania and from the Greek mainland to Corfu, in addition to some international traffic from the Adriatic.[2]
The
Corfu Channel Incident refers to three separate incidents involving
Royal Navy ships in the Straits of Corfu which took place in 1946, and it is considered an early episode of the
Cold War.[3][4][5] During the first incident, Royal Navy ships came under fire from Albanian fortifications.[4] The second incident involved Royal Navy ships striking
mines and the third incident occurred when the Royal Navy conducted
mine-clearing operations in the Corfu Channel, but in Albanian
territorial waters,[3] and
Albania complained about them to the
United Nations.[4] This series of incidents led to the
Corfu Channel Case, where the
United Kingdom brought a case against the
People's Republic of Albania to the
International Court of Justice.[6] Because of the incidents, Britain, in 1946, broke off talks with Albania aimed at establishing
diplomatic relations between the two countries. Diplomatic relations were only restored in 1991.[7]
^de Yturriaga, sé Antonio (1991). Straits Used for International Navigation: A Spanish Perspective.
ISBN978-0-7923-1141-6.
^
abAustralian Journal of Legal History Half Light Between War and Peace: Herbert Vere Evatt, The Rule of International Law, and The Corfu Channel Case
^Times Online Obituary: Lieutenant-Commander Hugh Knollys Navigator who won a DSC on D-Day and survived when his destroyer hit a mine in the postwar Corfu Channel incident.
^JSTOR The Corfu Channel Case Quincy Wright The American Journal of International Law, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Jul., 1949), pp. 491-494 (article consists of 4 pages) Published by: American Society of International Law Retrieved 31-07-08
^UK in Albania (British Embassy in Albania)Archived 2008-09-26 at the
Wayback Machine Quote: "Discussions on the re-establishment of diplomatic relations were finally broken off as a result of the Corfu Channel incidents. In May 1946 the Albanians fired on two Royal Navy Cruisers and in October 1946 two Royal Navy destroyers were damaged by mines with the loss of 44 men. Britain was awarded damages at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Albania refused to recognise the judgement. In retaliation, Britain refused to permit the release of Albanian gold held since the War by the Tripartite Gold Commission." and "Post-War diplomatic relations were finally established on 29 May 1991"