MADRID, 20 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Greek authorities have denounced this Thursday an incursion by Turkish fishing vessels in their waters south of the island of Gavdos and west of Crete, according to information from the newspaper ‘Kathimerini’.
This is the first time that Turkish ships have appeared in the west of the island, although the Government has not offered any further details. The incident has been addressed by the Greek Coast Guard, although the Navy has also been alerted.
However, Athens has seen the act as a “direct” violation of Greek rights in its exclusive economic zone, something that could be dangerous. In addition, the zone would be outside the areas included in the maritime agreement reached by Turkey and Libya and which Greece rejects.
The appearance of the boats in the area is seen by many as an attempt to challenge the island’s right to its territorial waters. On May 11, the Italian Navy accused Turkish fishing boats of throwing stones at two of their vessels in the Mediterranean.
The incident would have occurred in northern Cyprus, where the Turkish ships would have carried out a series of maneuvers near the Italian ships. Turkey and Libya signed a territorial demarcation agreement on the area in November 2019.
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