Greek Coast Guard harasses Turkish fishing boat in Aegean Sea

The harassment of Turkish fishermen by the Greek Coast Guard off the coast of Didim in Türkiye's western Aydin province on Monday and the breaking of a boat's window were captured on a cellphone camera.

Near the Greek Aegean island of Bulamac or Farmakonisi, a Greek Coast Guard boat approached two fishing boats from Didim. Two officers on the boat told the fishing boats to leave the area, and then one of the officers struck one of the boats' windows with a long iron rod, shattering it, as captured on cellphone video.

After the Turkish fishermen made a distress call, Turkish Coast Guard units arrived in the area and got the Greek Coast Guard to leave the area.

Ali Sarihan, the captain of the boat with the shattered window, told the media that while they were fishing, they heard sounds and witnessed a Greek Coast Guard boat approaching and breaking their windows.

Sarihan added that a Greek Coast Guard officer on the boat hit their boat with an iron rod, saying: "After breaking the windows, they left and returned. They also sprayed pressurized water through the broken window and threw stones at our boat. Two of our coast guard boats in the area chased them away."