Greek coastal guards and anti-terror units arrested four suspects allegedly carrying weapons to Turkey. In the early morning of Tuesday, coastal guards halted a seven-meter rubber boat sailing between the islands of Chios and Oinousses, just a couple of nautical miles away form the Turkish coast southern of Izmir.
The boatd was loaded with weapons: 2 anti-tank missiles, 4 hand grenades, 2 pistols, ammunication and epxlosive devices.
The four suspects were two Greeks and two foreign nationals. According to some Greek media, the foreign nationals said during the interrogation that they were Turkish nationals of Kurdish origin and that they had asked the Greeks to help them transport the weapons to Turkey.
One of the Greeks have reportedly confessed that he was hired to take the boat to Turkey; his reward would be 500 euro. The man from Chios is 22 years old and a student at the Commercial Navy Academy. He claimed he wa snot aware of the load.
Media report that after ‘the catch’, authorities launched a big scale operation in several appartments in Chios, Athens, Thessaloniki and Corinth. Two more suspects – a Greek and a Kurd- were arrested in Chios.
Authorities consider the case as ‘serious’ and a statement from the police is expected soon.
Recent reports in Turkish media claimed that Greece has been giving shelter to terrorists who were planning attacks against Turkish and American interests.
A threat originating from the lack of cooperation on the part of the Greek government in cracking down on an ultra-leftist terrorist group that targets Turkish and US interests has escalated into one of planned suicide attacks, according to intelligence sources, Today’s Zaman has learned.The members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) who Greece has been deporting to Syria due to international pressure instead of extraditing them to Turkey are preparing for a series of large-scale suicide attacks in major Turkish cities such as İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir, according to government sources, who shared the confidential reports with Today’s Zaman. (full story Today’s Zaman)
Any link between Kurds and DHKP?
In the past two decades Turkey has often accused Greece for sheltering Turkish terrorists.
