Athens convinced that Turkey seeks an Aegean confrontation

With troops and police deployed at Greece's Evros land border with Turkey successfully fending off thousands of migrants bused there by Turkish authorities, Greek officials appear convinced that Ankara is now pursuing a confrontation with Greece in the Aegean.

The Greek foreign ministry today summoned Turkey's ambassador to Athens, Burak Özügergin, to explain how and why a Turkish Coast Guard vessel south of the Aegean island of Kos at 05:48 this morning raced toward a Hellenic Coastguard patrol boat and struck it, coming a hair's breadth away from ramming the Greek vessel, which averted a collision with swift manoeuvres.

Damning video - EU, Nato briefed

The incident was recorded on a video that has circulated widely and was posted by the German newspaper Bild, whose correspondent, Liana Spyropoulou, tweeted about the incident.

"While everyone thinks its calm in the #Aegean because there are no refugee boats arriving in the islands, #Greece 's @HCoastGuard is being dangerously harassed by a Turkish vessel. Exclusive footage obtained by @BILD shows what is really happening away from the media. #Turkey," she wrote.

A Greek crew member is heard on the video shouting, "They have broken our rails. [Record] everything on video."

Slightly thereafter another crew member said, "They are in our waters and hit us from behind. It has caused damage."

Government spokesman Stelios Petsas told a press briefing that, "In line with our standard practice, all of our partners in the EU and Nato are being briefed."

Athens declares Turkey seeks Aegean clash

Maritime Affairs Minister Giannis Plakiotakis spoke of deliberately dangerous manoeuvres in Greek territorial waters of the Turkish Coast Guard...