The official said a formal request was to be made to Turkey to take back the ship and its passengers, who meanwhile were expected to be temporarily sheltered in a Greek port.
The official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, said later the vessel remained east of Crete. “Right now, the important thing is to get the ship to a safe anchorage,” an official with knowledge of the operation initially told The Associated Press. The nationalities of the passengers and crew were unknown. There was no indication that anybody on it was in ill health, although it was unclear how long it had been at sea and what its food and water situation was.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A small cargo ship carrying about 400 migrants that suffered engine problems in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off the Greek island of Crete will be towed to a safe anchorage in Greece, the Greek coast guard said Friday.īut by late Friday night, no port had been designated for the ship and there were signs the incident could turn into a diplomatic tussle with neighboring Turkey, Greece’s regional rival from where the ship departed.Ī coast guard statement said the Turkish-flagged freighter was located by a Greek search-and-rescue vessel east of Crete, following a tip that it needed assistance.
