Ask Questions Later

Ask Questions Later

Across the Water: The Islands That Divide and Connect Greece and Turkey

TRAVELOGUE: Beneath the island calm of Kos lies a tempestuous past of massacres, forced migrations, and tales of empires lost

Dan Perry's avatar
Dan Perry
Aug 23, 2025
∙ Paid
11
5
1
Share
The Dodecanese islands (Dan Perry photo)

I sat on a beach in the Greek island of Kos, looking across the water at the hills of Turkey. It is always strange when two very different countries meet within sight of each other. But here the oddity is sharpened: these islands, the Dodecanese, lie far closer to Asia Minor (an hour’s swim out) than to the Greek …

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Ask Questions Later to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Dan Perry
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture