A new incident between a boat of the Hellenic Coast Guard and another boat of the Turkish Coast guard was reported today by Ihlas Haber Ajansi news agency.
According to reports, the two vessels exchanged communication, both sides requesting the immediate departure of the other from the site. In specific, the Turkish side announced “We are the Turkish coast guard. You are in Turkish water, please remove yourself from Turkish waters.” The Greek coastguard responded similarly saying, “Here are the Imia islands. Please evacuate the Greek territory immediately.”
The news agency also reported that a chase ensued when the boat belonging to the Turkish Coast Guard pursued the Greek one approaching as close as a 20 meter distance. However, the Greek side eventually backed down and the event came to an end with the departure of both vessels from the area.
This is only one of the many provocations that have taken place since Turkey’s President Recep Tayipp Erdogan has put into question the Treaty of Lausanne in an attempt to make claims on the Greek islands.
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