Turkish submarine confronts Greek coast guard in fishing standoff

BODRUM

DHA photo

A Turkish submarine and a Greek coast guard were engaged in a maritime standoff on Nov. 17, amid a fishing crisis in the Aegean.

A group of Turkish fishermen told the Doğan News Agency that the Greek coast guard, which left its base on the island of Kos, violated Turkish territorial waters off Bodrum at around noon. Approaching as close as 50 meters, the Greek ship urged the Turkish fishermen to return to the coast for two hours.

In response, a Turkish submarine from its base in Marmaris surfaced near the hotspot while travelling toward Kuşadası at 2 p.m. The submarine showed the Turkish flag on the surface, after which the coast guard retreated to international waters, before again turning back in the direction of Turkey. 

A number of Turkish naval officers watched the Greek vessel from the deck of the submarine from an even closer distance, the agency said, while releasing photographs of the incident.

The tension was defused at 3.20 p.m. when Turkish fishermen returned to the coast and the Greek coast guard went back to Kos. The Turkish submarine then continued on its normal route.