A Greek coast guard patrol craft partially collided with a fishing boat from Turkey in the early morning hours of Thursday in Greek territorial waters in the extreme northeast Aegean, near the rock islet of Zourafa. Initial reports claimed the Greek craft was an inflatable, which was disproved when video footage emerged.
Both craft were later shown in the video as sustaining damages.
The incident took place near the small rock formation known as Zourafa, identified as the northeastern-most maritime territory of Greece in the Aegean.
According to reports, officers on the coast guard vessel arrived from the nearby island of Samothrace and attempted to inspect the Turkish vessel, as it was in Greek waters. The latter abruptly changed direction and collided with the fishing boat. Each craft returned to port without assistance.
Unnamed sources on the Greek side later said the specific Turkish fisherman has previously been involved in similar incidents in Greek waters, with the fact that the encounter was videotaped by another person raising questions.
A later announced by Turkey’s coast guard claimed the fishing boat was in Turkish waters, north of Gökçeada, known for millennia as Imbros, one of two major islands in the Aegean belonging to Turkey. However, the announcement did not offer coordinates, as the incident occurred closer to Samothrace (Greek territory to the west) and not Gökçeada.
