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Russian destroyer fires warning shots at Turkish fishing boat on collision course in Aegean
RT,
13
December, 2015
A
Russian destroyer had to open warning fire as a Turkish fishing
vessel sailed on a collision course towards them and didn’t respond
to calls from the warship, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
Following
the incident,
the Russian Defense Ministry warned the Turkish military attaché
about “the possible harmful consequences of the reckless actions by
Ankara against the Russian military contingent, involved in tackling
international terrorism in Syria."
“Deep
concerns were voiced over another provocative action by the Turkish
side against the Russian patrol ship Smetlivy in the Aegean Sea,
which forced them to open warning fire… in order to avoid a
collision with the Turkish vessel,” the
ministry said in a statement.
The
warning shots came from small arms and were strategically aimed to
guarantee the Turkish ship was out of harm’s way, the statement
stressed.
The
incident happened in the northern part of the Aegean Sea some 12
nautical miles from the Greek island of Lemnos, the ministry said.
The
crew of the Kashin-class guided missile destroyer Smetlivy spotted
the Turkish fishing trawler some 1,000 meters from the Russian
warship early on Sunday morning, the ministry said. The ship was
sailing towards the destroyer and ignored calls for radio contact and
other attempts to communicate.When the Turkish vessel approached to
about 600 meters, the Smetlivy opened small arms fire at a spot in
front of the trawler, taking care to avoid any risk of hitting the
Turkish ship itself, the report said.
The
ministry said the Turkish fishing ship changed course after that and
kept about 540 meters from the Smetlivy, but didn’t contact the
Russian warship.
“Russian
Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov has summoned the military
attaché of the Turkish embassy in Russia in connection with the
incident in the Aegean Sea,” the
statement said.
Минобороны России
Turkish military attaché in Moscow urgently invited to Rus Defence Ministry in view of incident in the Aegean Sea http://on.fb.me/1NNW13f
There
is serious tension between Turkey and Russia after an incident on the
Turkish-Syrian border, in which Turkish fighter jets shot down a
Russian bomber plane conducting airstrikes against terrorist forces
in Syria. Turkey said the move was justified by a 17-second incursion
into Turkish airspace.
Russia
denied the Russian warplane crossed the border and called the
incident a stab in the back. Moscow accused Ankara of protecting
terrorists in Syria to ensure a continued flow of smuggled oil to
Turkey, which Russia says profits some senior Turkish officials.
Is
Aegean Sea Incident With Russian Destroyer a 'Turkish Provocation'?
The
cause of the incident in the Aegean Sea with a Russian frigate and
Turkish seiner was either a total disregard for safety rules, or it
was a poorly organized provocation, a source in the Russian Defense
Ministry said.
13
December, 2015
Earlier
in the day, the crew of the Russian Smetlivy frigate
managed to prevent a collision with a Turkish seiner in the
northern part of the Aegean Sea. Following the incident, the
military attaché at the Turkish Embassy in Moscow was
urgently summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry.
“In
this situation there are only two explanations: either it is
carelessness and disregard for safety of navigation on part
of the captain of the Turkish vessel, who it seems never
leaves his cabin. Or it is a planned but clumsily organized
provocation against the Russian military ship, which in the
case of a collision would have received damage requiring repairs
in the factory.”
The
source further said, “Removal of a frigate ship even just
for a few months is a serious breach in the overall
security system of the country.”
The
relations between Russia and Turkey have soured since the
Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down Russia's Su-24 bomber
in Syria on November 24.
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