Interior Ministry: Greece pledges to respect Turkish waters after coast guard incursion

Greek government assured Turkish government that “the violations will not recur,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said after contacting them in person following Greek coast guard vessels’ incursion into Turkish territorial waters off Bodrum and Datça, allegedly in pursuit of migrant smugglers.

The Ministry of Interior released the following statement on their “X” (formerly Twitter) account on the evening of September 23:

“Our Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya held a phone conversation this evening (September 23) with Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianides, concerning the violation of Turkish territorial waters by Greek vessels.

“During the call, Minister Yerlikaya expressed Turkey’s displeasure over Greek Coast Guard boats breaching our territorial waters and emphasized that such violations are unacceptable for maintaining good neighborly relations.

“Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianides, affirmed the importance placed on neighborly relations between the two countries. He stated that the incident has no political dimension, assured that such violations would not recur, and informed that an immediate investigation has been launched, with Turkish authorities to be updated on the findings.”

Why Interior Ministry?

The photograph accompanying the Interior Ministry’s statement shows Yerlikaya speaking with the Greek Minister while Coast Guard Commander Admiral Ahmet Kendir is present.

This photograph raised two questions:

1- Why are Turkish and Greek flags displayed in the room when no Greek official is physically present with Yerlikaya? Is this intended to convey a message of “We seek no conflict”?

2- In Greece, the Coast Guard falls under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, making it a direct counterpart to Turkey’s Interior Ministry. However, matters of border violations are typically handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in most countries, including Turkey. Why is the Interior Ministry taking the lead in this case?

YetkinReport received the following responses from Interior Ministry officials to both questions:

1- This is Yerlikaya’s standard format for all meetings with foreign ministers, and photographs are taken accordingly. There’s no special significance; it’s simply the Interior Ministry’s protocol.

2- “Our Ambassador (to Athens, Çağatay Erciyes) is involved.” Given the “intense focus” on the Coast Guard and Interior Ministry in this incident, it was decided that the Interior Ministry would issue the statement in coordination with the Foreign Ministry.

Details of the violations

The first violation came to light on September 20 in Bodrum’s Akyarlar district, at Meteor Cove, when a citizen called the emergency number 112 to report a Greek coast guard vessel pursuing an inflatable boat to the shore. The occupant of the inflatable boat reportedly disembarked and fled.

CHP Deputy Namık Tan publicized this incident on his “X” account the same day, sharing an image and condemning the action.

Subsequently, the Coast Guard Command confirmed that following the 112 call, two Turkish Coast Guard boats were dispatched to the area, prompting the Greek vessel to “return to its own territorial waters.”

Later, Tan shared footage from local Karya News showing an individual disembarking from a Greek Coast Guard boat on Datça’s shore, tying a white boat to the vessel, and towing it away. He questioned the Foreign Ministry’s silence on the matter.

CHP’s preventive proposal

Interior Ministry officials refuted claims circulating on social media that a masked individual from the Greek boat had come ashore and vanished. According to officials, the violations occurred within a 3 km zone (1.5 km in Turkish waters and 1.5 km in Greek waters) and lasted only 40-45 seconds. Nevertheless, they emphasized that any violation, regardless of duration, was unacceptable.

Interior Minister Yerlikaya’s call to his Greek counterpart and subsequent statement came in the wake of these developments, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

CHP Vice President and Retired Admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu shared his insights on “X”, noting that such violations could occur due to the proximity of Greek islands to Turkish coasts, based on his personal experience. However, he stressed that prevention was possible. Bağcıoğlu suggested that in addition to deploying modern short-range radar systems, establishing “traditional” observation points at strategic locations could enhance deterrence by maintaining a visible presence in the area.