July 3 (UPI) — The captain of a Turkish cargo ship said it received warning shots from the Greek coast guard Monday in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Rhodes island.
The M/V ACT was about 3 miles off the coast of Rhodes and carrying steel from the southern port of İskenderun to İzmit in the northwest, Turkey-based Deniz Haber Ajansı reported.
The captain, Haluk Sami Kalkavan, said they use this route regularly and it’s in international waters.
The Greek coast guard warned the ship to divert its course to Rhodes. Kalkavan responded he would not follow the directive and informed Turkish officials.
“The Greek coast guard immediately demanded the ship to anchor off the Port of Rhodes while we were passing around the island,” he said in an interview with CNN Turk. “They said they would check the ship but we did not accept that. They then said they would shoot if we didn’t stop and they did what they said. We have escaped a great danger.”
The captain said 16 bullet holes hit the ship but the vessel was not in danger of sinking.
The freighter went into Turkish waters bound for Marmaris.
The Turkish armed forces said it dispatched one assault boat and two coast guard boats to the scene.
The Greek Coast Guard said the ship was in Greek waters and had reports that it was carrying narcotics.
The two countries have disputed a portion of territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, exclusive economic zones and territories. In February, Turkish coast guard vessels entered Greek territorial waters near the disputed Imia islets in the southeast Aegean but no shots were fired.
