Coast guard vessel enters Turkish waters during pursuit of migrant smugglers

A Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessel entered Turkish waters near Bodrum on Friday morning during the pursuit of a speedboat allegedly involved in migrant smuggling.

Reportedly, the incident occurred at 11 a.m., with the Coast Guard vessel reaching approximately 50 meters from the shore, surprising beachgoers who recorded the vessel and notified Turkish authorities.

The smuggler brought the speedboat ashore and then fled the scene. However, according to reports, he was later arrested by Turkish police.

Turkish officials contacted the Greek side and expressed their irritation about the incident, with the Hellenic Coast Guard pledging to investigate the matter.

Coast Guard officials explained that they decided to continue the pursuit up to the Turkish shores because they could not open fire on the vessel due to the presence of many tourist boats in the area...