Three Turkish fishermen injured after Romanian coast guard opens fire

ISTANBUL – İhlas News Agency

Three Turkish fishermen were wounded and five others were detained in a raid on their boat in the international waters off Romania.

Turkey is expected to make an application to Romania for extradition of the eight fishermen, who are now in the Romanian city of Constanta, said Metin Gündoğdu, Turkish deputy for the Black Sea province of Ordu.

Saim Tandoğan, mayor of the Perşembe district in Ordu, said that the fishermen had set sail from Perşembe and that the incident happened during the fishermen’s attempt to hunt the flatfish, turbot, in international waters.

The three injured fishermen are continuing to receive treatment in Constanta, while the other five fishermen’s condition is good, Tandoğan said on May 21.

The incident happened on May 20 off the coast of Constanta.

The Romanian Coast Guard stated that the Observation System (SCOMAR) observed a fishing vessel operating in Romanian territorial waters at 52 nautical miles, which equals 1,852 meters, east of Constanta at around 6.50 a.m. on May 20.

The fishing vessel, which carried the name “Baba Şenol,” had a Turkish flag and did not respond to verbal warnings, the Romanian Coast Guard said.

The coast guard fired warning shots, and the Turkish fishing vessel was stopped at 2.40 p.m., at which time border guards approached the boat. The fishermen were then taken aboard the Romanian coastal protection boat.

The coast guard said that of the three injured Turkish fishermen, two were injured in their legs and one in his hip.

After arriving at the port of Mangalya, the fishermen were carried to a health unit by a Constanta ambulance.