Greek coast guard and a Turkish fishing boat collide in the north Aegean. Officials say it's minor

Officials in Athens say a Greek coast guard vessel has been involved in a minor collision with a Turkish fishing boat in Greek waters off a tiny Aegean Sea islet rock

Biden NATO Summit (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A Greek coast guard vessel was involved in a minor collision with a Turkish fishing boat in Greek waters off a tiny Aegean Sea islet rock on Thursday, officials in Athens said.

A coast guard statement said nobody was injured in the incident off Greece's Zourafa in the northeastern Aegean, and neither vessel appeared to have suffered severe damage.

The statement said the coast guard vessel was sent to chase away the Turkish boat that was fishing inside Greek waters. It said the collision was caused by the Turkish captain's “abrupt change in course.”

Zourafa is surrounded by rich fishing grounds, which often leads to tension between Greek and Turkish fishing crews.

The two neighbors, NATO allies and historic regional rivals are at odds over issues including Aegean Sea boundaries and offshore exploitation rights. The latter led to a surge in military tensions four years ago.

Relations have improved since, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington.