Russia fires warning shots at Turkish ship

Escalating tensions between Russia and Turkey continued, with a Russian warship firing warning shots at a Turkish boat as the two vessels threatened to collide.

The incident occurred on December 13, 22 kilometers (13 miles) north of the Greek island of Limnos in the Aegean Sea, according to a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry. The relations between Russia and Turkey have been tense since a Russian jet operating in Syria was shot down by the Turkish military on November 24, that led to the killing of one pilot. A Russian soldier died during a rescue mission that retrieved the surviving crew.

Addressing the Turkish media on December 13, the country’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said more information was needed from the crew aboard the Turkish fishing boat before a proper response could be issued. “We are not on the side of escalating tension, we are on the side of de-escalating tense situations through dialogue,” Mr Cavusoglu said.

A Russian serviceman was filmed on the deck of a naval ship holding what appeared to be a rocket launcher as a Russian warship passed through Istanbul, a few days ago. A treaty between Russia and Turkey allows Russia’s Black Sea fleet access to the Aegean Sea by way of the Bosphorus, which bisects Turkey.

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