There was tension in the sea area of Imia on the day of the Epiphany, as reports emerged that vessels of the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Turkish Coast Guard collided.
According to sources, at 10:30am a Turkish Coast Guard vessel collided with a newly built Rafnar type speedboat of the Greek Navy patrolling the area.
The incident took place in Greek territorial waters and damaged the Greek Coast Guard vessel.
In response to the reports, the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy released a statement. "Information that has seen the light of day (...) has nothing to do with reality, about the alleged involvement in the area of Imia with vessels of the Turkish Coast Guard."
"The Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy and the Headquarters of the Hellenic Coast Guard in cooperation with the competent authorities, will continue to monitor the specific area with great care in order to defend the sovereign rights of the country," it added.
Imia (Greek: Ίμια) is a pair of small uninhabited islets in the Aegean Sea, situated between the Greek island chain of the Dodecanese and the southwestern mainland coast of Turkey.