Cargo vessel made off after ramming gunboat near Lesbos, an act described as a flagrant violation of international law

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A Turkish cargo ship has collided with a Greek warship off the Aegean Sea island of Lesbos, fuelling fears of a “hot incident” in what has long been a traditional theatre of tension between the Nato rivals.

The vessel rammed into the Greek gunboat, Armatalos, early on Friday within hours of Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, giving a keynote speech on the island.

“After the incident, the cargo ship increased speed and made off to Turkey’s nearest coast without responding to the radio messages of the Armartalos,” the Hellenic Navy said.

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A Navy statement described the pre-dawn collision as occurring in Greek national waters in flagrant violation of international law. “There were no injuries,” it said. Turkey’s transport ministry also announced that there was no threat of “casualties or environmental pollution”.

But while damage to the warship – part of a Nato-led operation monitoring illegal migration flows in the Aegean – was also described as minimal, the incident highlighted the friction between the countries.

Tensions have been running unusually high in recent months. This week Nikos Kotzias, Greece’s foreign minister, said Ankara had “come close” to “crossing a red line” when a Turkish patrol boat rammed a Greek coastguard ship off a disputed Aegean isle in February. The two neighbours nearly went to war over the uninhabited islet in 1996.

“If there hadn’t been a calm and composed approach on the Greek side, no one can say where this could have led,” Kotzias told Skai TV.

Senior figures in Greece’s military and naval command have expressed nervousness that the scene is being set for a clash ahead of crucial presidential elections in Turkey next month. The Islamic-leaning Justice and Development party (AKP) has joined forces with the Nationalist Movement party (MHP) to contend the election at the request of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the president. The nationalists are virulently at odds with Greece over Cyprus, and other territorial disputes, and have laid claim to numerous inhabited isles in the Aegean.

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“We are tracking a lot of Greek nervousness and worry among the military,” said one western diplomat. “There is genuine concern over the rise in what are regarded as provocative violations.”

With air violations and mock dogfights also increasing dramatically, it is vital that channels of communication remain open if the danger of miscalculation and miscommunication is to be kept at bay, military observers say.

“And, sadly, at the moment we are not seeing a lot of that,” the diplomat added.

Last month, Turkish warplanes flew dangerously close to a military transport helicopter carrying the Greek prime minister over the Aegean.

In a separate incident, Greek troops fired warning shots at a Turkish helicopter as it flew over an outlying Aegean island. Turkish fighter jets in defiance of a gentleman’s agreement to respect religious holidays, had only hours before entered Greek airspace on Orthodox Easter Sunday.

The infraction occurred over a military outpost visited earlier in the day by Panos Kammenos, the defence minister.

Analysts downplayed the the idea that Friday’s collision was deliberate but did not rule it out completely.

“It appears to be an accident, such accidents have happened before,” said Ioannis Michaletos at the Institute for Security and Defence analysis. “But as there have been so many incidents of late it could also have been staged. Relations between the two countries are tense and the naval theatre is one where clashes occur.”

Analysts and diplomats agreed that, so far, EU member Greece had reacted coolly in a clear bid not to be drawn into combat.

“Greece has more to lose,” said Michaletos. “In the event of a hot incident, tourism would lose greatly and that could mean the final collapse of the economy.”</s>Greek authorities say a Turkish cargo ship and a Greek warship have collided in the eastern Aegean Sea, without causing injuries or severe damage.

A Greek navy statement says the Turkish-flagged Karmate put on speed and made off into Turkish waters after Friday’s pre-dawn incident, ignoring radio messages from the Armatolos gunboat to stop.

The navy said the collision in Greek waters southeast of the island of Lesbos was caused by the Turkish ship breaching international shipping safety rules.

Thr 180-foot (55-meter) Armatolos was taking part in a NATO operation to stop migrant-smuggling, the navy said.

The incident comes amid heightened tension between Greece and Turkey over Aegean territorial rights.</s>A Greek warship collided with a Turkish cargo ship, it was reported

The Turisk Ministry of Transport said the collision didn't cause any casualties on the Turkish side.

It said: "We have received information that there is no threat of sinkage, death, casualties or environmental pollution."

The condition of the Greek soldiers on the warship remains unclear.

The Greek navy earlier said one its gunboats was nudged by a Turkish cargo vessel while on patrol for unauthorised migrant crossings in the Aegean.

Tensions between the two countries have been recently ratcheting up after a Greek flag was hoisted on a disputed, uninhabited islet in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish coast in April.</s>According to the Turkish ministry of transport, as quoted by the Reuters news agency, no casualties occurred as a result of the collision between a Turkish cargo ship and a Greek warship in the Aegean Sea.

"We have received information that there is no threat of sinkage, death, casualties or environmental pollution," the ministry stated.

The information echoes reports of the Greek Navy, which claimed that a Turkish cargo vessel had nudged one of their gunboats.</s>ANKARA (Reuters) - There were no casualties after a Turkish cargo ship collided with a Greek warship in the Aegean Sea early on Friday, Turkey’s Ministry of Transport said.

The Greek navy earlier said one its gunboats was nudged by a Turkish cargo vessel while on patrol for unauthorised migrant crossings in the Aegean.

“We have received information that there is no threat of sinkage, death, casualties or environmental pollution,” the ministry said in a statement.</s>A Turkish cargo ship collided with a Greek warship in the Aegean sea early Friday with no casualties from either side, the transportation ministry said.

According to the ministry's statement, the 73-meter-long cargo ship "Karmate" carrying 2,150 tons of cement collided with the Greek warship off the Greek island of Lesbos at 4 a.m. local time (01.00 GMT), while the Greek ship was on patrol for unauthorized migrant crossings.

"We have received information that there is no threat of sinkage, death, casualties or environmental pollution," the ministry said in a statement.

Both countries' Main Search and Rescue Coordination Centers cooperated to respond to the incident.

The Greek island of Lesbos, which lies close to Turkey, was on the frontline of a migration influx in 2015, when hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict found sanctuary there. The number of arrivals has since eased considerably after a refugee deal signed between Turkey and the European Union.</s>The Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications has confirmed the fact of collision of a Turkish ship and a Greek warship in the Aegean Sea, the ministry said in a message on May 4.

The 73-meter cargo ship "Karmate" carrying cement has collided with the Greek military ship in the waters of the Lesbos island in the Aegean Sea on May 4.

Both ships were damaged due to the collision, but not sunk, the ministry said. No one was injured in the collision.</s>In the last three months, tensions between two NATO member states have escalated dramatically - Turkey has threatened to invade Greek islands, Greece has responded, and Greeks now see Turkey as the greatest threat to their existence., but today it appears the situation may have escalated dramatically as Turkish cargo ship KARMATE has collided with the Greek warship 'Armatolos' despite warnings that it was on collision course.

KeepTalkingGreece reports that the incident took place at 4 o’ clock Friday morning, South-East off Lesvos within Greek territorial waters. The Turkish-flagged ship had deviated form its original course and fled into Turkish territorial waters. The gunboat was on NATO mission “Aegean Activity” patrolling for migrants and refugees illegally entering Greece from Turkey.

According to a statement issued by the Greek Navy, the Turkish cargo came towards the gunboat, “approached and touched” ARMATOLOS on the left side. KARMATE increased speed and made it towards the Turkish coast. It did not respond to continuous radio calls from ARMATOLOS to stop.

The Turkish cargo violated the International Law of the Sea, breaching safety rules and avoid collision, the statement said.

The Turkish cargo had also ignored visual signals and warning calls from the gunboat while it was on collision course.

The cargo continued its route and entered Turkish territorial waters. Within 1.5 nautical mile, it was stopped by a Turkish Coast Guard vessel that had heard of the whole incident through the radio.

Gunboat Armatolos suffered no serious material damage in the middle, no crew member was injured.

A Greek Coast Guard boat approached the gunboat that continued its course.

The gunboat immediately informed the Greek Navy and the NATO.

The Navy is going to seek compensation from the KARMATE Shipping company, Greek media reported.

Hours after the incident, the KARMATE seems to be anchored off Turkish coast, at the port of Dekili. The cargo had departed the port of Izmir at 10:30 p.m. Turkish local time with destination Tekirdag port in North Turkey.

The behavior of the Turkish captain of KARMATE is considered as “suspicious”, especially if one checks with the cargo route showing it clearly deviated from its original course.

Seven hours after the incident and KARMATE’s shipping company has not issued any statement.

The incident comes amid increased tensions between Greece and Turkey with Ankara to challenge sovereignty rights in the Aegean.

Last February, a Turkish Coast Guard patrol boat rammed an anchored Greek Coast Guard boatoff the islet of Imia, Ankara claims it was “under Turkish sovereignty.”

* * *

 As we concluded previously, given that Turkey brutally invaded Cyprus in 1974, its current threats against Greece -- from both ends of Turkey's political spectrum -- should not be taken lightly by the West.

Greece is the birthplace of Western civilization. It borders the European Union. Any attack against Greece should be treated as an attack against the West. It is time for the West, which has remained silent in the face of Turkish atrocities, to stand up to Ankara.</s>ATHENS: Greece on Friday said one of its warships had collided with a Turkish ship in the Aegean Sea, the latest in a series of terse encounters between the regional rivals and NATO allies. The Greek navy said the Turkish merchantman ship had “approached and touched” one of its gunboats, which was taking part in a NATO exercise. After the collision the merchantman fled back towards Turkish waters, the navy said. “Nobody was hurt and no serious damage was caused,” it added. Turkey has for decades disputed Greek sovereignty over Aegean waters and airspace close to Turkish shores, which Athens says is based on postwar treaties. The two countries nearly went to war over a cluster of uninhabited islets in 1996, and mock dogfights between the two air forces are common. Last month, a Greek fighter pilot died when his plane crashed in the Aegean while returning from a mission to intercept Turkish jets.</s>Greece on Friday said one of its warships had collided with a Turkish ship in the Aegean Sea, the latest in a series of terse encounters between the regional rivals and NATO allies.

The Greek navy said the Turkish merchantman ship had "approached and touched" one of its gunboats, which was taking part in a NATO exercise.

After the collision the merchantman fled back towards Turkish waters, the navy said.

"Nobody was hurt and no serious damage was caused," it added.

Turkey has for decades disputed Greek sovereignty over Aegean waters and airspace close to Turkish shores, which Athens says is based on postwar treaties.

The two countries nearly went to war over a cluster of uninhabited islets in 1996, and mock dogfights between the two airforces are common.

Last month, a Greek fighter pilot died when his plane crashed in the Aegean while returning from a mission to intercept Turkish jets.

A few days earlier, Greek soldiers had fired warning shots at a Turkish helicopter after it approached the small island of Ro, which is on Greece's border in the Aegean's southeast.

There is also tension over Greece's refusal to extradite eight Turkish soldiers who sought refuge in the country after the failed 2016 army coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Greek Supreme Court has ruled against extradition, arguing that they would not receive a fair trial in Turkey.

In turn, Turkey has refused to release two Greek soldiers who were caught in March after crossing the border, claiming to have lost their way in the fog.
A Turkish cargo ship collides with Greek warship Armatalos off the coast of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. The Hellenic Navy says the ship then retreated to Turkish waters without responding to radio messages.