By Yiannis Souliotis
A late-night clash off the tiny island of Agathonisi escalated into gunfire on Tuesday, after Greek Coast Guard crews confronted two Turkish fishing boats that had crossed into Greek territorial waters.
The incident, first publicized by Turkish media with photos showing bullet holes on a fishing vessel, was later confirmed by Greek Coast Guard officials, though Athens opted to explain the episode through a discreet non-paper rather than a formal statement.
According to the Greek side, the trouble began when two Turkish fishing boats, escorted by two Turkish Coast Guard vessels, crossed into Greek waters and started casting nets. Three Greek patrol boats rushed to the scene and issued repeated warnings, visual and through loudspeakers, ordering the fishermen back to Turkish waters. The warnings went nowhere.
Greek authorities say one of the Turkish vessels, specifically a smaller tender boat, then began making aggressive maneuvers that risked ramming one of the Greek patrol boats. That’s when the Greeks fired warning shots into what they described as a “safe sector,” a move that finally pushed the Turkish boats back across the maritime boundary. The Turkish Coast Guard vessels reportedly maneuvered in a way that helped shield the fishing boats and hinder the Greek patrols before all three Turkish vessels retreated.
In Athens, officials insist the Coast Guard had little choice, the boats were inside Greek waters, and engagement rules are strict. Still, the government is watching closely how Ankara is portraying the incident, amid ongoing concerns about possible provocations in an area Turkey labels a “grey zone.”
Talks between the two countries have already slowed in recent months, and Tuesday night’s showdown underscores just how fragile the situation remains.
Turkey tells a very different story.
The Turkish Coast Guard accused Greece of “harassing” a Turkish fishing vessel in what it says were Turkish waters. Turkish authorities claim two of their patrol boats had to intervene and that Greek vessels “fled the scene,” leaving the fishermen to continue their work.
Turkish media went further, reporting that the fishing boat, which had set sail from Didim, came under direct fire from Greek Coast Guard teams. Captain Hasan Aygun told Turkish reporters that Greeks fired six shots, hitting the mast and damaging equipment, even though a Turkish Coast Guard vessel was present.
The damaged fishing boat was later towed to port by Turkish authorities, who confirmed material damage but made no mention of its reported presence inside Greek waters.
