Turkish prosecutor launches investigation over interception of Turkish vessel in E Med

ANKARA

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation ex officio for the Turkish-flagged commercial ship named Roseline-A which was stopped and searched in the eastern Mediterranean Sea by the EU’s military mission Irini.

The investigation was launched because the Turkish-flagged ship was stopped and searched “in a manner contrary to international regulations” despite the lack of a search warrant that was to be issued by Ankara, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Nov. 27.

The investigation was initiated ex officio, the statement added.

On Nov. 22, a frigate of the German navy illegally stopped and searched a private Turkish-flagged ship carrying materials and humanitarian aid to Libya, drawing condemnation from Turkish leaders.

Ankara criticized the Greek-led Operation Irini saying it had made the necessary warnings against the boarding action of German marines that it could not be lawfully carried out without the permission of the state of the flag.