The Dodecanese are in the southeastern Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.
The Aegean Sea ( [ ᵻˈdʒiːən ] Αιγαίο Πέλαγος [ eˈʝeo ˈpelaɣos ] ; Ege Denizi [ eɟe denizi ] ) is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the Greek and Anatolian peninsulas , i.e. , between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey . The Dodecanese ( [ doʊdɪkəˈniːz ] Δωδεκάνησα , Dodekánisa , [ ðoðeˈkanisa ] , literally `` twelve islands '' ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea , off the coast of Asia Minor ( Turkey ) , of which 26 are inhabited .