A Turkish boat opened fire on a Greek coast guard vessel during an inspection attempt in Greek territorial waters off the coast of Lesbos, an island in the eastern Aegean Sea, on Saturday morning.
The incident occurred at 8 AM, with reports indicating that the suspects fired three shots from an AK-47 assault rifle at the Greek vessel. In response, the Greek ship returned fire, causing the Turkish boat to flee toward the Turkish coast. Fortunately, no casualties were reported on the Greek side, and the coast guard vessel returned safely to the port of Mytilene.
Greece’s Ministry of Shipping has not yet issued any official statement regarding the incident.
Although Greece and Turkey are NATO allies, the two countries have a long history of disputes, with maritime border demarcation being one of the unresolved issues. However, in late 2023, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the Athens Declaration to normalize bilateral relations.
