Fishermen complain of Turkish intimidation

Greek fishermen said territorial waters in the northern Aegean were constantly being violated by Turkish fishing boats which engage in bullying tactics to spread their nets over a wider area, Kathimerini reported.

Fishermen in the North Aegean may not be experiencing the kind of Greek-Turkish tension seen in the south near Kastellorizo, but they have reportedly been on the receiving end of intimidation tactics for years.

According to the secretary general of the Fishermen’s Association of the Municipality of Alexandroupoli, Panagiotis Karavatis, Turkish boats resort to threats “so that we leave the fishing grounds to make way for Turkish boats”, especially east of Samothraki and Limnos in Greek waters.

“There have been direct threats that we were in Turkish territorial waters while we were in Greek or international ones, and fishermen have been arrested,” he said, adding that the fishermen were released but their boats were looted.