Dangerous incidents between the Turkish coast guard and the ships of the European organization Frontex occurred on April 26 and 27 off the coast of the Greek island of Chios.
According to the source of the Greek publication Katimerini, the Turkish coast guard invaded the territorial waters of Greece and made dangerous maneuvers at close range from the Finnish and Swedish boats patrolling the East Aegean Sea as part of Operation Poseidon from the European border organization Frontex.
Officials from both countries described the two incidents as “very serious”, and the head of the European organization, Fabrice Lazeri, briefed Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Shoinas and Commissioner for Immigration Ilva Johansson about the developments.
The first of the two events took place on the night of April 26 in the area of the sea near Chios. The Turkish coast guard entered the territorial waters of Greece, following a course across the Finnish ship. According to information that became known to “K”, during the incident, the navigation lights on the Turkish Coast Guard ship were turned off, and on the Frontex ship, on the contrary, they were on, and the ship itself was practically motionless, while drifting. In an official statement, a competent Finnish official called the incident “very dangerous”, stressing that it grossly violates international shipping rules. The source also said that the incident was captured by a camera that operated on the Frontex vessel and is expected to be the starting point for an investigation.
The second incident occurred a few hours later in the same area of the sea. In particular, on the morning of April 27, the Turkish coast guard entered the territorial waters of Greece and moved threateningly towards the Swedish coast guard patrol boat, which was patrolling the area under the auspices of Frontex. The captain of the Swedish boat noticed the movement of the Turkish boat in time and, while maneuvering, avoided a collision.
Greek Coast Guard officers who witnessed the two “hot” incidents immediately briefed Frontex management, and teams from two public media outlets also prepared reports that they presented to the organization’s leadership in Warsaw. In turn, the executive director of the organization, Fabrice Lazeri, informed the competent EU authorities, in particular, Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Shoinas and Commissioner for Immigration Ilva Johansson.
According to a well-informed source, Mr. Leseri states that “recent events raise concerns about the safety of Frontex ships patrolling the Eastern Aegean. evaluate the data as the Turkish fleet follows unpredictable tactics, sometimes rescuing migrants from Turkish waters and sometimes trying to steer them towards the Greek borders. ”
The responsible official said that the competent authorities of Frontex have ordered an investigation into the incident, and it is expected that the matter will be discussed at the organization’s board of directors, which is scheduled for next Friday.
These are the first incidents of this kind in recent years when the boats of the Turkish Coast Guard have actually attacked Frontex vessels. Previously, similar incidents have repeatedly occurred with Greek boats. At the same time, the Turkish side, despite the video, which recorded violations on their part, stated that the Greek coast guard endangers the lives of “refugees”.
After one of these incidents, which occurred on the morning of April 2, the Minister of Migration Affairs of Greece, Notis Mitarakis stated:
“The Geneva Convention on Refugees concerns people who flee from danger. This does not apply to persons who are assisted by a neighboring state with warships in illegal border crossings. “
Early in the morning of April 2 in the eastern part of the Aegean Sea, near the island of Lesvos, Turkish Coast Guard patrol boats tried to carry 6 inflatable boats with about 300 migrants in the waters of Greece. The operation, according to the Greek side, was coordinated from a Turkish Navy ship, which was in the roadstead nearby. Also, Turkish drones were involved, with the help of which the Turkish side looked for gaps in the island’s defense.
“The Geneva Convention on Refugees concerns people who flee from danger. This does not apply to persons who are assisted by a neighboring state with warships in illegal border crossings. “
Early in the morning of April 2 in the eastern part of the Aegean Sea, near the island of Lesvos, Turkish Coast Guard patrol boats tried to carry 6 inflatable boats with about 300 migrants in the waters of Greece. The operation, according to the Greek side, was coordinated from a Turkish Navy ship, which was in the roadstead nearby. Also, Turkish drones were involved, with the help of which the Turkish side looked for gaps in the island’s defense.
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