Greek Coast Guard shoots and injures Turkish sailor in Aegean Sea

A Turkish sailor was injured in international waters in the Aegean Sea when Greek forces opened fire on two fishing boats.

A crew member on one of the two Turkish vessels was slightly injured in the leg while fishing between the Greek island of Chios (Sakiz) and the Karaburun district of Izmir province in western Türkiye on Tuesday night, Türkiye's Coast Guard Command said in a statement on Wednesday.

The injured sailor was taken to a hospital in the Cesme district of Izmir, it added.

"Firing on defenseless fishermen by Greek elements is unacceptable, it is a crime against humanity," it stressed.

Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the “disproportionate” use of force against Turkish fishermen. 

It also handed a protest note to Greek Embassy counselor in Ankara.

READ MORE: Greece’s deadly pushback tactics, explained

Illegal pushbacks

Wednesday's incident comes weeks after Turkish authorities recovered 12 bodies believed to be those of asylum seekers who were pushed back by Greece.

The bodies were found near the Ipsala border crossing between Türkiye and Greece, Türkiye's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Wednesday.

They were found frozen to death “without shoes and stripped of their clothes” by Greek border guards at their land border.

The 12 were among 22 asylum seekers who were pushed back into Türkiye by Greek border guards, Soylu said via Twitter.