Imia is again at the center of tension: a Turkish boat threatened Greek fishermen

New incident at Imia: Fishermen from Kalymnos said that a Turkish coast guard boat threatened them with a machine gun and tried to force them out of the area.

New incident of tension recorded in the area Imiawhere, according to Greek fishermen from Kalymnosboat Turkish Coast Guard approached their vessel and threatened them with a weapon, trying to force them to leave the fishing area.

The crux of the matter

• Kalymnos fishermen stated that they Imia a boat approached them Turkish Coast Guard.
• According to them, the Turkish crew turned on the sirens, performed intimidation maneuvers and pointed a weapon mounted on the bow towards the Greek ship.
• The incident, according to Greek media reports, occurred May 14 and was filmed by the fishermen themselves.
• District Imia remains one of the most sensitive points of the Greek-Turkish confrontation after the crisis 1996.

As reported Ta Nea, To Vima And Starfishermen claim that the Turkish act approached the Greek fishing vessels, turning on their sirens and performing pressure maneuvers. According to the fishermen themselves, the goal was to force them to leave the area.

The most serious part of the statement concerns weapons: the fishermen claim that the crew members of the Turkish boat pointed a weapon mounted on the bow of the vessel in their direction. Greek media write that this moment was recorded on video, which the fishermen themselves handed over to the Greek authorities.

According to Parapolitika And Newsbombthis is not the first such episode: Kalymnos fishermen have previously complained about the actions of the Turkish coast guard in the area Imia.

Why Imia is becoming a danger point again

Imia – these are not just small uninhabited rocks in Aegean Sea. For Greece And Turkey the area has long been a symbol of disputes over sovereignty, maritime zones and de facto control. It is here in 1996 the two countries were on the verge of armed conflict.

Therefore, any episode involving the coast guard, fishing vessels or military boats off Imia automatically goes beyond the scope of a normal maritime conflict. When fishermen say that they are being forced out of the area at gunpoint, we are talking not only about fishing, but about an attempt to impose actual presence and control.

Against the backdrop of Turkish exercises EFES-2026bill Ankara about maritime zones and a recent vessel incident Ocean Link between Astypalaia And Scythethis episode appears to be part of a larger picture. Türkiye increasingly acts not through one major crisis, but through a series of small steps: warnings, radio calls, NAVTEX, boat maneuvers, pressure on fishermen and attempts to show that nothing should happen in the Aegean without its consent.

Sea pressure tactics

For Athens Such episodes are especially unpleasant because they do not occur in offices or at diplomatic receptions, but on the water – where decisions are often made in seconds. Fishermen, coast guard boats, warships and civilian vessels find themselves in the same tension zone, where any sudden movement can escalate into an incident.

Essentially Ankara uses gradual tactics “gray zoning”: the area is first declared politically controversial, then regular patrols appear there, then obstacles are created for Greek ships, and in the end ordinary economic activities themselves – fishing, cable laying, research – turn into a reason for pressure.

That is why the story with the Kalymnos fishermen is important not only as another complaint from the sea. It shows how a geopolitical dispute spills over into the daily lives of people who go to sea not to display a flag, but to work. But geopolitics, as usual, comes to places where no one invited it, because it has surprisingly bad manners.

Video on the topic

Imia is again at the center of tension: a Turkish boat threatened Greek fishermen pic.twitter.com/083jdYvOaI

— Athens News (@russianathens) May 15, 2026

Greek media reported that the incident was filmed by the fishermen themselves. Video materials and fragments of the plot were published, in particular, on the websites Star, To Vima And Newsbomb.

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