Escalating tensions between the regional rivals that have mounted in recent weeks, the Turkish Coast Guard has now accused Greek ships of firing on its cargo vessel in the Aegean Sea.

According to the Turkish statement, there were no casualties in the shooting 11 nautical miles (13 miles) southwest of the Turkish island of Bozcaada.

Two Turkish Coast Guard ships went to the area and the Greek boats left following what Ankara called “harassment fire”.

With both sides alleging airspace violations, the neighbouring countries have been embroiled in disputes for decades and frictions have ratcheted up in recent weeks.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/turkey-versus-greece-a-long-history-of-disputes-323392">Also see |&nbsp;Turkey versus Greece: A long history of disputes</a>

Following Russia’s war in Ukraine, Greek officials have raised concerns about another outbreak of conflict in Europe.

While Turkey accuses Greece of breaking international agreements by keeping a military presence on islands close to its coastline, Athens says it needs to defend its eastern islands.

Saying the Greek Coast Guard is attacking them, the Turkish Coast Guard released a video showing a bullet hole in a window and in the ceiling of the cargo ship’s bridge.

Despite recent "unacceptable" comments from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday that Athens would try to keep communication channels with Ankara open.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Escalating tensions between the regional rivals that have mounted in recent weeks, the Turkish Coast Guard has now accused Greek ships of firing on its cargo vessel in the Aegean Sea.

Escalating tensions between the regional rivals that have mounted in recent weeks, the Turkish Coast Guard has now accused Greek ships of firing on its cargo vessel in the Aegean Sea. According to the Turkish statement, there were no casualties in the shooting 11 nautical miles (13 miles) southwest of the Turkish island of Bozcaada. Two Turkish Coast Guard ships went to the area and the Greek boats left following what Ankara called “harassment fire”. With both sides alleging airspace violations, the neighbouring countries have been embroiled in disputes for decades and frictions have ratcheted up in recent weeks. Also see | Turkey versus Greece: A long history of disputes Following Russia’s war in Ukraine, Greek officials have raised concerns about another outbreak of conflict in Europe. While Turkey accuses Greece of breaking international agreements by keeping a military presence on islands close to its coastline, Athens says it needs to defend its eastern islands. Saying the Greek Coast Guard is attacking them, the Turkish Coast Guard released a video showing a bullet hole in a window and in the ceiling of the cargo ship’s bridge. Despite recent "unacceptable" comments from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday that Athens would try to keep communication channels with Ankara open. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Turkish Coast Guard accuses Greek ships of firing on its cargo vessel in Aegean Sea

On Saturday, Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkiye, accused Greece of controlling Aegean Sea islands with a demilitarised status and declared that Turkiye&nbsp;was ready to "do what is necessary" if necessary.&nbsp;

Turkiye&nbsp;and Greece have been at odds over a variety of topics over the years, including overflights, the status of the Aegean islands, maritime boundaries, the availability of hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean, and ethnically divided Cyprus. Both countries are also fellow NATO members.&nbsp;

Erdogan had not previously accused Greece of occupying the demilitarised Aegean islands, but Ankara has now accused Athens of arming them—a charge that Athens rejects.

"We are not tied together by your occupation of the islands. When the hour arrives, we will take the required action "Speaking in the province of Samsun in the north, Erdogan added.&nbsp;

In response, Greece declared that it would not adopt Turkiye's "outrageous daily slide" of proclamations and threats.&nbsp;

The content of the inflammatory words will be shared with our allies and partners, the foreign ministry stated, " to make it clear who is setting dynamite to the cohesion of our alliance during a dangerous period."

Recently, Turkiye&nbsp;has been irate over what it claims to be Greek forces harassing its jets. According to Ankara, during a routine flight, Greek S-300 air defence systems latched on to Turkish aircraft.&nbsp;

On August 30, Turkiye&nbsp;observed Victory Day, a national holiday honouring Turkish forces' victory over Greek forces in 1922. Erdogan urged Greece to "not forget Izmir" on Saturday in reference to the Turkish win.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-binding-agreement-reached-in-bali-g20-energy-talks-due-to-russia-ukraine-war-512712">No binding agreement reached in Bali G20 energy talks due to Russia-Ukraine war</a>

Erdogan has highlighted accomplishments on the international stage as he gears up for what appears to be the most difficult election of his almost 20-year tenure in 2023. Additionally, he has increased his discourse on foreign policy.

According to Ankara, Greece received the Aegean islands under the 1923 and 1947 treaties with the condition that it would not arm them. Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkiye's foreign minister, has indicated repeatedly that if Athens continued to equip the islands, Turkiye&nbsp;would begin to challenge Greek sovereignty over them.&nbsp;

The Turkish position contesting Greece's sovereignty over the islands, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is "absurd."

(with inputs from agencies)

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On Saturday, Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkiye, accused Greece of controlling Aegean Sea islands with a demilitarised status and declared that Turkiye was ready to "do what is necessary" if necessary.

On Saturday, Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkiye, accused Greece of controlling Aegean Sea islands with a demilitarised status and declared that Turkiye was ready to "do what is necessary" if necessary. Turkiye and Greece have been at odds over a variety of topics over the years, including overflights, the status of the Aegean islands, maritime boundaries, the availability of hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean, and ethnically divided Cyprus. Both countries are also fellow NATO members. Erdogan had not previously accused Greece of occupying the demilitarised Aegean islands, but Ankara has now accused Athens of arming them—a charge that Athens rejects. "We are not tied together by your occupation of the islands. When the hour arrives, we will take the required action "Speaking in the province of Samsun in the north, Erdogan added. In response, Greece declared that it would not adopt Turkiye's "outrageous daily slide" of proclamations and threats. The content of the inflammatory words will be shared with our allies and partners, the foreign ministry stated, " to make it clear who is setting dynamite to the cohesion of our alliance during a dangerous period." Recently, Turkiye has been irate over what it claims to be Greek forces harassing its jets. According to Ankara, during a routine flight, Greek S-300 air defence systems latched on to Turkish aircraft. On August 30, Turkiye observed Victory Day, a national holiday honouring Turkish forces' victory over Greek forces in 1922. Erdogan urged Greece to "not forget Izmir" on Saturday in reference to the Turkish win. Also Read: No binding agreement reached in Bali G20 energy talks due to Russia-Ukraine war Erdogan has highlighted accomplishments on the international stage as he gears up for what appears to be the most difficult election of his almost 20-year tenure in 2023. Additionally, he has increased his discourse on foreign policy. According to Ankara, Greece received the Aegean islands under the 1923 and 1947 treaties with the condition that it would not arm them. Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkiye's foreign minister, has indicated repeatedly that if Athens continued to equip the islands, Turkiye would begin to challenge Greek sovereignty over them. The Turkish position contesting Greece's sovereignty over the islands, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is "absurd." (with inputs from agencies)

Turkiye accuses Greece of occupying demilitarised islands in Aegean Sea

The Türkiye government’s tourism promotion campaign—TurkAegean— has stoked anger in Greece which has accused its NATO ally of culture appropriation.

At the root of this promotional campaign is the word ‘TurkAegean’ used by Türkiye. It is related to the territorial sovereignty over a group of islands spread on the Aegean Sea, which has been a contentious issue between Athens and Ankara.

The region sees a heavy influx of tourists during the summer season from around Europe. Aegean’s sandy beaches and azure waters have been the main tourist pullers.

With its western shores straddling the Aegean, Turkey wants the region not to be associated exclusively with Greece. Last December, it even lodged a request with the EU’s intellectual property office to trademark the term TurkAegean.

The application was made public after it got approval from the intellectual property office, triggering a backlash from top Greek politicians.

&nbsp;“Some people … quite simply, did not do their job well,” Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

Greece’s European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas sent a strongly worded letter&nbsp;to Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, demanding a review of the decision, according to Greek media reports on Thursday.

But Turkey has always viewed the Aegean region as part of its territory, even as it fought with Greece over claims to maritime boundaries and their continental shelves.

In November, Turkish Deputy Tourism Minister Nadir Alpaslan&nbsp;in an interview said that Greece “has made the world perceive the Aegean as its own region”, according to Politico.

“We will do this even more strongly next year and show that the Aegean is not a region of Greece, but also a region of Turkey, a tourism brand.”

However, the controversy surrounding claims to the Aegean Sea is linked to security concerns.

Ankara has accused Athens of deliberately militarising islands close to the Turkish coast in contravention of international treaties, reports The Guardian.

In a move that sparked further concerns among EU diplomats stationed in Athens, Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, warned last month that Turkey would challenge the status of Greece’s eastern isles if troops were not withdrawn.

Athens argues it has a right to defend itself on its own soil, noting repeated air incursions by Turkish fighter jets and Ankara’s longstanding threat of war in the event of territorial waters being extended.

Erdoğan has repeatedly invoked the Greek-Turkish war of 1919-22, which ended in military defeat for Athens, saying that, 100 years on, Greece should not be bristling for a fight that it would once again “regret”.

Greek politicians said that Ankara’s TurkAegean campaign must be seen in the context of the strategy the Turkish president was pursuing in the lead-up to elections in 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Türkiye government’s tourism promotion campaign—TurkAegean— has stoked anger in Greece which has accused its NATO ally of culture appropriation. At the root of this promotional campaign is the word ‘TurkAegean’ used by Türkiye.

The Türkiye government’s tourism promotion campaign—TurkAegean— has stoked anger in Greece which has accused its NATO ally of culture appropriation. At the root of this promotional campaign is the word ‘TurkAegean’ used by Türkiye. It is related to the territorial sovereignty over a group of islands spread on the Aegean Sea, which has been a contentious issue between Athens and Ankara. The region sees a heavy influx of tourists during the summer season from around Europe. Aegean’s sandy beaches and azure waters have been the main tourist pullers. With its western shores straddling the Aegean, Turkey wants the region not to be associated exclusively with Greece. Last December, it even lodged a request with the EU’s intellectual property office to trademark the term TurkAegean. The application was made public after it got approval from the intellectual property office, triggering a backlash from top Greek politicians. “Some people … quite simply, did not do their job well,” Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. Greece’s European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas sent a strongly worded letter to Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, demanding a review of the decision, according to Greek media reports on Thursday. But Turkey has always viewed the Aegean region as part of its territory, even as it fought with Greece over claims to maritime boundaries and their continental shelves. In November, Turkish Deputy Tourism Minister Nadir Alpaslan in an interview said that Greece “has made the world perceive the Aegean as its own region”, according to Politico. “We will do this even more strongly next year and show that the Aegean is not a region of Greece, but also a region of Turkey, a tourism brand.” However, the controversy surrounding claims to the Aegean Sea is linked to security concerns. Ankara has accused Athens of deliberately militarising islands close to the Turkish coast in contravention of international treaties, reports The Guardian. In a move that sparked further concerns among EU diplomats stationed in Athens, Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, warned last month that Turkey would challenge the status of Greece’s eastern isles if troops were not withdrawn. Athens argues it has a right to defend itself on its own soil, noting repeated air incursions by Turkish fighter jets and Ankara’s longstanding threat of war in the event of territorial waters being extended. Erdoğan has repeatedly invoked the Greek-Turkish war of 1919-22, which ended in military defeat for Athens, saying that, 100 years on, Greece should not be bristling for a fight that it would once again “regret”. Greek politicians said that Ankara’s TurkAegean campaign must be seen in the context of the strategy the Turkish president was pursuing in the lead-up to elections in 2023. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Türkiye’s ‘TurkAegean’ tourism campaign sparks backlash in Greece

At least three people died after a boat carrying migrants illegally capsized in the Aegean Sea, just hours after a similar tragedy claimed 11 lives, according to reports.

Friday's tragedy—which is the third since Wednesday— brings the total death toll at least 27 from three accidents amid heightened migrants'&nbsp;activity in the Greek waters.

The sinkings came as smugglers increasingly favour a perilous route from Turkey to Italy, which avoids Greece’s heavily patrolled eastern Aegean islands that for years were at the forefront of the country’s migration crisis.

The coastguard said it had found three bodies and rescued 57 people on Friday from a boat that overturned and sank near the island of Paros in the central Aegean, reports AFP

Hours earlier, 11 bodies were recovered hours after a boat ran aground on an islet north of the Greek island of Antikythera on Thursday evening. &nbsp;

Ninety people stranded on the islet were rescued, including 27 children and 11 women, the coastguard said.

Earlier on Wednesday, a dinghy carrying migrants capsized off the Greek island of Folegandros, killing at least three people.

Thirteen people were rescued, while dozens remain missing, Greek authorities said.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR had termed the Folegandros accident the worst in the&nbsp;Aegean&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;this year.

"This shipwreck is a painful reminder that people continue to embark on perilous voyages in search of safety," AFP quoted Adriano Silvestri, the UNHCR's assistant representative in Greece, as saying.

The UNHCR estimates that more than 2,500 people have died or gone missing at&nbsp;sea&nbsp;in their attempt to reach Europe from January through November this year, reports AFP.

Nearly one million people, mainly Syrian refugees, arrived in the European Union in 2015 after crossing to Greek islands close to Turkey.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least three people died after a boat carrying migrants illegally capsized in the Aegean Sea, just hours after a similar tragedy claimed 11 lives, according to reports.

At least three people died after a boat carrying migrants illegally capsized in the Aegean Sea, just hours after a similar tragedy claimed 11 lives, according to reports. Friday's tragedy—which is the third since Wednesday— brings the total death toll at least 27 from three accidents amid heightened migrants' activity in the Greek waters. The sinkings came as smugglers increasingly favour a perilous route from Turkey to Italy, which avoids Greece’s heavily patrolled eastern Aegean islands that for years were at the forefront of the country’s migration crisis. The coastguard said it had found three bodies and rescued 57 people on Friday from a boat that overturned and sank near the island of Paros in the central Aegean, reports AFP Hours earlier, 11 bodies were recovered hours after a boat ran aground on an islet north of the Greek island of Antikythera on Thursday evening. Ninety people stranded on the islet were rescued, including 27 children and 11 women, the coastguard said. Earlier on Wednesday, a dinghy carrying migrants capsized off the Greek island of Folegandros, killing at least three people. Thirteen people were rescued, while dozens remain missing, Greek authorities said. The UN refugee agency UNHCR had termed the Folegandros accident the worst in the Aegean Sea this year. "This shipwreck is a painful reminder that people continue to embark on perilous voyages in search of safety," AFP quoted Adriano Silvestri, the UNHCR's assistant representative in Greece, as saying. The UNHCR estimates that more than 2,500 people have died or gone missing at sea in their attempt to reach Europe from January through November this year, reports AFP. Nearly one million people, mainly Syrian refugees, arrived in the European Union in 2015 after crossing to Greek islands close to Turkey. (With inputs from agencies)

Dozens of migrants killed in boat sinking accidents on Greek waters, third in a week

Greece in Friday accused Turkey of trying to "provoke an escalation" in the Aegean. It alleged that Turkey was trying "dangerous" manoeuvres and assistance to migrants that was illegal.

"This morning the Hellenic Coastguard reported multiple incidents of the Turkish Coastguard and Navy accompanying flimsy migrant boats to the border of Europe in an effort to provoke an escalation with Greece," the migration ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, Greek coastguard announced that its patrol boat near Lesbos island had been "harassed" by a Turkish vessels with "dangerous manoeuvres".

It released a video allegedly showing a Turkish coastguard vessel speeding closely past the Greek vessel and rocking it with waves.

The Greek coastguard added that in two incidents, Turkish patrol boats had allegedly tried to assist migrant dinghies in entering Greek waters.

In one of the alleged incidents, two Turkish patrol boats "tried to push" a migrant dinghy into Greek waters, the Greek coastguard said.&nbsp;

Athens wants Ankara to better police migration routes and take back hundreds of asylum seekers found ineligible for refugee protection.

It has repeatedly asked Turkey to take back nearly 1,500 migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected.

(With agency inputs)

Greece in Friday accused Turkey of trying to "provoke an escalation" in the Aegean. It alleged that Turkey was trying "dangerous" manoeuvres and assistance to migrants that was illegal.

Greece in Friday accused Turkey of trying to "provoke an escalation" in the Aegean. It alleged that Turkey was trying "dangerous" manoeuvres and assistance to migrants that was illegal. "This morning the Hellenic Coastguard reported multiple incidents of the Turkish Coastguard and Navy accompanying flimsy migrant boats to the border of Europe in an effort to provoke an escalation with Greece," the migration ministry said in a statement. Earlier, Greek coastguard announced that its patrol boat near Lesbos island had been "harassed" by a Turkish vessels with "dangerous manoeuvres". It released a video allegedly showing a Turkish coastguard vessel speeding closely past the Greek vessel and rocking it with waves. The Greek coastguard added that in two incidents, Turkish patrol boats had allegedly tried to assist migrant dinghies in entering Greek waters. In one of the alleged incidents, two Turkish patrol boats "tried to push" a migrant dinghy into Greek waters, the Greek coastguard said. Athens wants Ankara to better police migration routes and take back hundreds of asylum seekers found ineligible for refugee protection. It has repeatedly asked Turkey to take back nearly 1,500 migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected. (With agency inputs)

Greece accuses Turkey of 'provocations' in the Aegean

A strong earthquake of magnitude of up 7.0 struck the Aegean Sea on Friday and was felt in both Turkey and Greece, local and international observatories said.

Strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 strikes Aegean Sea

Turkish authorities have detained 311 people suspected of disseminating &quot;terror propaganda&quot; over Ankara&#39;s offensive against a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-intensifies-syria-campaign-against-kurdish-militia-31015"> Kurdish militia in Syria</a>, the interior ministry said on Monday.

The suspects have been taken into custody since the operation against the Syrian Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) militia began on January 20.

Ankara views the YPG as a &quot;terrorist&quot; offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), which has been waging a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.

The PKK is blacklisted as a terror organisation by Ankara and its Western allies.

The operation, supporting Syrian rebels with Turkish ground troops and air strikes, seeks to eliminate the YPG from its western enclave of Afrin in Syria close to the Turkish border.

Although the interior ministry did not give details, police raids have taken place across the country, from Izmir on the Aegean Sea to Igdir and Van in the east.

Rights groups have expressed renewed concerns over freedom of expression in Turkey. Human Rights Watch last week criticised Ankara&#39;s &quot;intolerance of criticism&quot;.

Among those taken into custody were journalists including writer and activist Nurcan Baysal but she was released on Wednesday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for national unity over the offensive and has warned that those who responded to calls for protests would pay a &quot;heavy price&quot;.

Meanwhile, Erdogan&#39;s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has urged the public and media to be careful of &quot;lying, fake, distortive and provocative news, images and gossip&quot;.

The authorities believe there is deliberate disinformation, especially on social media which includes the use of images that have been &quot;manipulated&quot; or taken from other conflicts but presented as from the current operation.

Local officials of Turkey&#39;s pro-Kurdish Peoples&#39; Democratic Party (HDP) have also been detained while the party has criticised the offensive calling it an &quot;invasion&quot;.

&quot;(The HDP) invites the international community to take immediate action to stop it,&quot; it said in a letter on Monday addressed to the United Nations and the European Union.

An HDP official told AFP that 209 of its members had been detained over allegations of &quot;terror propaganda&quot; and &quot;inciting people to hatred and hostility&quot; since the offensive was launched.

The Turkish government accuses the HDP of being a political front for the PKK but the party denies the claims.

The suspects have been taken into custody since the operation against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia began on January 20

Turkish authorities have detained 311 people suspected of disseminating "terror propaganda" over Ankara's offensive against a Kurdish militia in Syria, the interior ministry said on Monday. The suspects have been taken into custody since the operation against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia began on January 20. Ankara views the YPG as a "terrorist" offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state. The PKK is blacklisted as a terror organisation by Ankara and its Western allies. The operation, supporting Syrian rebels with Turkish ground troops and air strikes, seeks to eliminate the YPG from its western enclave of Afrin in Syria close to the Turkish border. Although the interior ministry did not give details, police raids have taken place across the country, from Izmir on the Aegean Sea to Igdir and Van in the east. Rights groups have expressed renewed concerns over freedom of expression in Turkey. Human Rights Watch last week criticised Ankara's "intolerance of criticism". Among those taken into custody were journalists including writer and activist Nurcan Baysal but she was released on Wednesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for national unity over the offensive and has warned that those who responded to calls for protests would pay a "heavy price". Meanwhile, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has urged the public and media to be careful of "lying, fake, distortive and provocative news, images and gossip". The authorities believe there is deliberate disinformation, especially on social media which includes the use of images that have been "manipulated" or taken from other conflicts but presented as from the current operation. Local officials of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have also been detained while the party has criticised the offensive calling it an "invasion". "(The HDP) invites the international community to take immediate action to stop it," it said in a letter on Monday addressed to the United Nations and the European Union. An HDP official told AFP that 209 of its members had been detained over allegations of "terror propaganda" and "inciting people to hatred and hostility" since the offensive was launched. The Turkish government accuses the HDP of being a political front for the PKK but the party denies the claims.

Turkey detains over 300 for 'terror propaganda' against Syria operation

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