Turkish Coast Guard Command announced on its website Wednesday that Greek soldiers opened fire on two Turkish fishing boats off the coast of Karaburun, Izmir, and Chios (Sakız).
According to the press statement, the incident took place on Tuesday evening, around 7:15 p.m. local time (4:15 p.m. GMT) when the two Turkish fishermen sailed to troll.
Upon receiving the information that a fisherman was injured in the leg as a result of the firing, two coast guard boats were immediately dispatched to the scene, along with 112 emergency health care services. The injured fisherman was transferred to Çeşme State Hospital.
While the Karaburun Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation about the incident, "Opening fire on defenseless fishermen by Greek elements is unacceptable, it is a crime against humanity," the Coast Guard Command said in its statement.
The Greek authorities confirmed that a coast guard vessel fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing boat during a confrontation in Greek waters.
The Greek shipping ministry said the Turkish vessel refused to leave Greek waters and had attempted to ram a patrol boat before the shots were fired.
Allegedly, no one was injured in the incident that occurred amid renewed tension between Greece and Turkey over a long-standing dispute over sea boundaries.
The dispute led to a tense naval standoff between the two NATO members in the eastern Mediterranean in 2020, before the two sides agreed to resume direct diplomatic contacts under pressure from allied governments including Germany.
Diplomats from Greece and Turkey met in Athens earlier this week.
