Details of collision revealed

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish and Greek coastguard vessels, on patrol for human trafficking, collided in the Aegean Sea early Sept. 26, Turkish foreign minister officials told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday.

The boats “slightly rubbed against each other,” the official said, adding that Greek and Turkish officials were discussing the incident. There were no reports of injuries. “The Turkish coastguard vessel was sailing dangerously and collided with a Greek vessel [that was on anti-immigration patrol near the island of Farmakonissi]”, the Greek foreign ministry said Sept. 26, adding that a complaint would be made to Ankara over the issue.

Turkey and Greece have had a territorial dispute over parts of the Aegean Sea and came close to war over the issue in 1996. Greece has a territorial limit of six miles around its nearly 2,000 Aegean islands, but maintains that it has the right to extend this to 12 miles. Turkey says such an extension would be cause for war.