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Aegean Sea News

22 Aug 2023

Forest Fire Shuts Turkey's Dardanelles Strait for Maritime Traffic

© Brais Seara / Adobe Stock

Maritime traffic from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara has been suspended due to the ongoing forest fire in the Turkish northwestern province of Canakkale, the transport ministry and a shipping agency said on Tuesday."The traffic at Dardanelles was suspended for both directions on Tuesday at 18:45 (1545 GMT) hours due to the aircraft intervening in the forest fire in the region by safely taking water from the sea," Tribeca shipping agency said.The Dardanelles Strait, a narrow and historically significant passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea…

02 Jun 2023

Cargo Vessels Collide Off Greek Island Near Turkey

(Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard)

Two cargo vessels collided off the Greek island of Chios near the Turkish cost on Friday, authorities said, adding that there were no injuriesThe Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Potentia with 19 crew members and the Vanuatu-flagged ship Ant with 13 crew collided in the eastern Aegean Sea nine miles north of Chios."There are no injuries, there is no risk of pollution", a coast guard official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding that the ships were not loaded with cargo.It was not immediately clear what had caused the collision, the official added.

17 May 2023

Greece: Alexandroupolis Port Gets $26M EU Funding

Lighthouse at Alexandroupolis Port - ©Constantin/AdobeStock

Greece has secured 24 million euros ($26 million) in European Union funding to upgrade its northern Aegean Sea port of Alexandroupolis, privatization agency HRADF said on Wednesday.Alexandroupolis, which is close to Bulgaria and Turkey, has been used by U.S.

01 Mar 2023

Greece's First FSRU Project Starts with Conversion at Keppel

(Image courtesy Gaslog)

Work has begun to develop Greece’s first Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) at the Keppel shipyard in Singapore, with the conversion of GasLog’s DNV classed LNGC Gaslog Chelsea, recently renamed Alexandroupoli.Following conversion, FSRU Alexandroupoli will serve as an offshore storage and regasification facility and will be part of the Alexandroupolis Independent Natural Gas System (INGS). The 155,000-cbm LNG carrier, recently reflagged to the Greek flag, is the first FSRU conversion under the Greek Flag for operation in the Aegean Sea.

04 Oct 2022

Refurbished Oil Spill Response Ship Enters Service

Photo courtesy Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE)

A refurbished high-spec oil spill response vessel for the Aegean Sea has entered service under a four-year contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), a contract with an option for four additional years.Dubbed AKTEA II, the OSRV will be able to reach anywhere in the Aegean within 24 hours and can collect and carry up to 4,500 tonnes of oil.Based in Piraeus, Greece AKTEA II OSRV (IMO 9327516) has onboard capacity of 4,486 cu. m. for recovered oil and is equipped with…

25 Jul 2022

Satellite Images, Data Show Russian Ship 'Looting' Ukrainian Grain

(Photo: Planet Labs PBC)

Late last month, a Russian-flagged cargo ship carrying corn pulled into the Turkish port of Izmir on the Aegean Sea. The SV Nikolay had loaded the grain at Port Kavkaz, in Russia, six days earlier on June 18, according to documentation provided by an employee of the Russian company that owns the ship.A Reuters analysis of satellite imagery, ship-tracking data and open-source photos and videos yields a different port of origin for the SV Nikolay. On June 18, Reuters’ analysis of a satellite image indicates…

27 Dec 2021

At Least 16 Dead in Greek Shipwreck

(Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard)

At least 16 people died when their boat overturned off the Greek island of Paros in the central Aegean Sea on Friday, in the third maritime disaster involving migrants this week, the country's coastguard said.Authorities scrambled a search and rescue operation overnight northwest of Paros. Air and sea assets were deployed to the area, the coastguard said.Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for migrants and refugees from Africa, the Middle East and beyond, though the flow has tapered off since 2015-2016…

01 Nov 2021

Ship with Hundreds of Afghan Migrants Docks at Greek Port

Credit: Hellenic Coast Guard

A Turkish-flagged cargo ship carrying 382 mostly Afghan migrants docked safely at a Greek island's port early on Sunday, two days after losing power in the Aegean Sea and sending out a distress signal.Six people among what was the country's biggest single influx of migrants in years were detained after the vessel, the Murat 729, was towed into Kos port by a Greek coast guard ship, the migration ministry said.The other arrivals were taken to a reception centre on the island. Their stay at the center…

30 Aug 2021

Cargo Ship Sinks Off Greece. All 16 Crew Rescued

A Togo-flagged cargo ship sank on Saturday after hitting Greek islets in the Aegean Sea but all 16 crew were rescued, the Greek coast guard said.The freighter Sea Bird, which sailed from Ukraine and was bound for Tunisia, sent a distress signal after sailing into rocky islets in the southwestern Aegean Sea, the coast guard said in a statement.Nearby vessels rescued all 16 Syrian crew, a coast guard official said.It was not immediately clear what caused the accident.Three anti-pollution vessels have rushed to the scene to check whether there was any leaking from the freighter, the coast guard added.(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

19 Mar 2021

Sanmar Adds Two New Tugs

(Photo: Sanmar)

Sanmar Shipyards has delivered another vessel in its Delicay tug series—this time to its own fleet.Like its sister tugs, the the 25.3m x 12m x 6.1m Delicay Vlll is a Z-drive tractor tug built to Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd’s exclusive to Sanmar TRAktor-Z 2500SX design, created in partnership with the Turkish tug-builder and operator for both harbor ship handling and towing duties.Built at Sanmar Shipyards Altinova, the tug is powered by 2x 2100kW main engines, giving it a speed ahead of around 12 knots and 75 tonnes of bollard pull.

18 Feb 2021

Turkey Deploys Research Vessel in Aegean Sea Sparking Protests from Greece

Greece said on Thursday it had protested to Turkey over its deployment of a research vessel in the Aegean Sea, in what it called an "unnecessary" move as the NATO allies seek to resume talks over a long-standing maritime dispute.An advisory issued by Turkey's navy this week showed the research vessel Cesme would be conducting a hydrographic survey from Feb. 18 until March 2 in an area of international waters where both sides have potential interests."It's an unnecessary move which does not help positive sentiment," government spokesman Christos Tarantilis told reporters. The foreign ministry has made a verbal complaint, government officials said.Ankara considers the area to be in international waters…

14 Aug 2020

Greek, Turkish Warships in 'Mini-Collision' Amid Mediterranean Exploration Dispute

Oruc Reis - Credit: Cengiz Tokgoz

A Greek and a Turkish warship were involved in a mini-collision on Wednesday during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, a Greek defense source said, describing it as an "accident".Tensions have risen this week after Turkey sent a survey vessel to the region, escorted by warships, to map out sea territory for possible oil and gas drilling - an area where Turkey and Greece both claim jurisdiction. EU foreign ministers were due to discuss the issue on Friday.The Turkish Oruc Reis survey ship has been moving between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete, shadowed by a number of Greek frigates.

10 Aug 2020

Greece Calls Turkey's Seismic Survey in Mediterranean Illegal

Turkey dispatched a vessel to conduct a seismic survey in a disputed area in the eastern Mediterranean, a move which Greece said was illegal and is likely to heighten tensions between the two NATO allies.The advisory issued by the Turkish navy said the Oruc Reis vessel would operate in the area over the next two weeks.The two countries are at odds due to overlapping claims for hydrocarbon resources in the region. A similar advisory, or Navtex, last month prompted a dispute that was calmed after the intervention of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leading Turkey to agree a pause in operations.But President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday…

29 Jun 2020

Turkish Coastguard Rescues 35 Migrants from Half-sunken Boat

(Photo: Turkish Coast Guard Command)

Turkey's coastguard said on Monday it had rescued 35 migrants and was searching for four more missing from a boat found half sunken in the Aegean Sea.The Turkish coastguard quoted the rescued migrants as saying that Greek coastguards had slashed their rubber dinghy, taken away their fuel containers and pushed them back towards Turkish waters. A Greek coastguard spokesman denied the allegations."The migrant boat never entered Greek territorial waters," the Greek spokesman told Reuters.

09 Jun 2020

Greece, Italy to Sign Accord on Maritime Zones

© muratart / Adobe Stock

Greece and Italy will sign an agreement on maritime boundaries during a visit by Italy's foreign minister to Athens on Tuesday, the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry said.The deal follows months of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region over natural resources. Turkey, Greece and Cyprus have been caught in a complex diplomatic standoff over the issue.Details of the deal were not immediately available.Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias are expected to make a joint statements following their meeting.At a meeting in Rome in February…

05 Nov 2019

Greece Rescues Tourist Floating in Aegean Sea for Two Days

Greece has rescued a 47-year old woman floating in a rubber dinghy in the Aegean Sea for nearly two days, coastguard officials said on Tuesday.The woman, holidaying on a sailboat near the Greek island of Folegandros, boarded an inflatable boat around midday on Nov. 1 to get supplies. A day later, Greek authorities were alerted that she was missing.They found her in the boat on Sunday morning some 40 nautical miles southwest of Folegandros, close to the island of Crete. Seven coastguard vessels, three private boats, a plane, and a helicopter were involved in the search operation."I was blown away, blown away in my dinghy," she said as she disembarked a coastguard vessel at the port of Iraklion…

29 Oct 2019

VIKING Wins Greek Coast Guard Tender

Photo courtesy of VIKING Life-Saving Equipment

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has been declared the winning bidder in a tender covering three offshore high-speed ambulance boats that will support emergency services in the Aegean Sea.The international tender was concluded after a cooperation between the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Greek Emergency Response Organization (E.K.A.B), in an initiative supported and financed by the European Union under the INTERREG V-A Cooperation Program 2014-2020.All three ambulance boats are scheduled for delivery during the summer of 2020…

28 Feb 2019

Turkey Launches Largest Naval Exercise

© Cristal Oscuro/AdobeStock

Turkey's military launched the largest naval exercise in its history on Thursday, February 28, carrying out drills with frigates, corvettes and submarines in the Black Sea, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.The nine-day exercise is aimed at testing the readiness of command bases and operation centers throughout Turkey's territorial waters, the defense ministry said.On board the frigate TCG Barbaros, gunners fired live ammunition at mock targets floating on the waves. Nearby, helicopters lowered soldiers onto a ship's deck…

30 May 2018

Kouroumplis: Greece Continues to Pace the Global Shipping Sector

Panagiotis Kouroumplis, Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy

As the maritime market steers toward Athens, Greece and Posidonia 2018, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News interviews Panagiotis Kouroumplis, the Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy. As the Minister of Shipping for the country with the largest merchant fleet and a millennia-old maritime tradition, Kouroumplis carries his responsibilities with pride and humility.Born in Aetoloakarnania in 1951, Kouroumplis holds a Law degree and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Athens.

04 May 2018

Greek Gunboat on Patrol Nudged by Turkish Cargo Vessel - Navy

A Greek gunboat was nudged by a Turkish cargo vessel early on Friday while on patrol for unauthorized migrant crossings in the Aegean Sea, the Greek navy said.The gunboat "Armatolos" was on patrol off the island of Lesbos as part of a NATO operation when the incident occurred at 4 a.m. local time (0100 GMT).The Turkish-flagged vessel "approached and touched" the Greek gunboat, the navy said in a statement. It then accelerated towards Turkish shores and did not respond to subsequent radio calls from the Greek gunboat, according to the statement.The Greek navy said NATO authorities had been informed, adding that there were no injuries or any serious damage to the ship.

23 Oct 2018

Greece, Turkey Snipe Over Maritime Borders

Turkey warned Greece on Tuesday it would not tolerate a shift in Greece's maritime border, drawing a sharp rebuke from Athens that it would decide when and how it exercises its sovereign rights.The statements from both sides came a few days after Greece's former foreign minister said Greece planned to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles to the west of the country.Territorial waters are a sensitive issue between the two neighbors and NATO allies, who are separated by the Aegean Sea and have been at odds over airspace, ethnically split Cyprus and offshore mineral rights for decades.Turkey has previously warned it could not preclude military action to defend its interests.Former Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias…

04 May 2018

No Casualties after Aegean Sea Collision

There were no casualties after a Turkish cargo ship collided with a Greek warship in the Aegean Sea early on Friday, Turkey's Ministry of Transport said.   The Greek navy earlier said one its gunboats was nudged by a Turkish cargo vessel while on patrol for unauthorised migrant crossings in the Aegean.   "We have received information that there is no threat of sinkage, death, casualties or environmental pollution," the ministry said in a statement.   Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Ezgi Erkoyun

15 Feb 2018

Greece Says Won't Tolerate Turkish Challenge after Ship Collision

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (left) (Photo courtesy of the Hellenic Coast Guard)

Greece will not tolerate any challenges to its territorial integrity, its prime minister said on Thursday, days after Turkish and Greek coastguard vessels collided close to disputed islets in the Aegean Sea. Each side blamed the other for Monday’s collision off an islet known as Imia in Greek and Kardak in Turkish. They came to the brink of war in 1996 in a sovereignty dispute over the islets. Seeking international support, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras underlined that Greece’s border was also that of the 28-nation European Union, and his foreign minister briefed the head of NATO and the U.S.