Fishermen seek navy protection
Complaining of harassment by armed Turkish coast guard vessels even inside Greek territorial waters, fishermen from Alexandroupolis yesterday threatened to blockade the Thracian port town unless the government takes action to protect them. Ioannis Kolosendas, president of the Alexandroupolis fishermen’s union, appealed for a navy gunboat to be sent to the area, some 25 kilometers from the Turkish border, to protect Greek fishing boats during their sorties. «As the Greek state has taken no notice of our problem, Turkey’s behavior is getting more and more provocative,» Kolosendas said. «As a result, we are being forced out of our traditional fishing grounds east of Samothrace, which are being overrun by Turkish fishing boats under escort by coast guard vessels.» He said Turkish coast guards forced Greek vessels at gunpoint to leave fishing grounds inside Greek waters, adding that the problem had been addressed six years ago by a navy gunboat.
