Greece seizes explosives-laden boat heading to İzmir, detains two Turkish citizens
ATHENS – Anadolu Agency / Hürriyet
Greek coast guards discovered two anti-tank weapons, four grenades, 200 bullets and two guns, together with a number of explosives. DHA photo
Greek officials have intercepted an inflatable boat loaded with ammunition near the shores of Chios Island off the coast of the Çeşme peninsula in İzmir province, detaining two Turkish and two Greek citizens, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Greek state agency ANA-MPA.Greek coast guards discovered two anti-tank weapons, four grenades, 200 bullets and two guns, together with a number of explosives, when they intercepted the vessel early this morning, the report said.
Officials also alleged that the Turkish citizens, as well as one of the Greek suspects, had participated in armed activities in Turkey. One of the detained Greek citizens, a 22-year-old student, told the police that he had received 500 euros for carrying the weapons and the Turkish citizens.
Greek daily To Vima claimed there was a strong suspicion that the detained suspects were members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the leftist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), which carried out a Feb. 1 attack against the U.S. Embassy in Ankara that left one dead, in addition to the bomber. It was later established that the assailant, Ecevit Şanlı, had entered Turkey illegally via Greece.
“The suspects were probably shipping arms probably to organize an attack in İzmir,” the newspaper’s website said, according to Anadolu Agency. Both suspects were Kurdish and one of them had already asked for asylum in Greece, the report added.
12 suspects detained in raids
Following the detentions, security forces also organized raids in apartments in Athens, Thessaloniki and Corinth, detaining a total of 12 suspects.
DHKP/C camps in Greece were long the subject of a dispute between Ankara and Athens, but the Greek government closed a number of the camps a few months ago, according to Turkish media.
