Turkey’s coast guard says Greek coast guard hit Turkish fishing boat

Turkey’s coast guard has said that the boat that struck a Turkish fishing vessel earlier on Wednesday was a Greek coast guard vessel and that the fishing vessel was in Turkish waters when the incident happened.

In an English-language statement titled “About the harassment to a Turkish fishing vessel by a Greek coast guard asset,” the Turkish coast guard said: “On 11 July 2024 at 11.25 a.m., it was reported that a Turkish flagged fishing vessel named Kizilelma-1 engaged in fishing activities off the coast of Zurafa lighthouse in Canakkale’s Gokceada district was harassed by a Greek Coast Guard asset that came to the area, passed close to the fishing vessel and caused material damage on the fishing vessel by hitting its front left side.”

The statement said that four Turkish coast guard vessels were dispatched to the scene.

“It was determined that the Greek Coast Guard asset moved away the area rapidly while the Turkish Coast Guard Boats are on their way to the scene, that there were no Greek Coast Guard assets in the surroundings of the scene of incident during the investigations conducted in the area, that the crew members on board the fishing vessel were slightly injured due to broken glass from the impact and that there was material damage on the fishing vessel. The vessel was towed and transferred to the port of Gokceada [Imvros].”

“Turkish Coast Guard Command continues to fulfill its duty to protect our rights and interests in the seas of our country within Turkish maritime jurisdiction areas 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” it continued.

Zourafa is located about six nautical miles east of the Greek island of Samothraki and ten nautical miles north of the Turkish island of Imvros.