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German frigate under Greek commander illegally stops Turkish vessel in East Med

23 November 2020 16:05 (UTC +04:00)

German frigate participating in EU-led Operation Irini unlawfully stopped and searched a commercial Turkish cargo vessel, carrying food and paint supplies to Libya, in the Eastern Mediterranean, security sources said in a statement Monday, APA reports citing Daily Sabah.

According to the statement, the Hamburg frigate led by a Greek commander, stopped the Libya-bound vessel ROSELINA-A in international waters, south of the Morea Peninsula late Sunday and carried out an unlawful search.

The search was made without informing the flag-carrier nation's authorities, as per international maritime law, security sources said, adding that all containers were searched by the frigate personnel, who boarded the vessel from a helicopter.

The soldiers left the cargo ship after finding out that it contained nothing but food and paint supplies, sources said, adding that it was heading to the Misrata Port in Libya.

Sources also noted that the frigate violated the U.N. Convention on the High Seas, which determines the countries' rights and responsibilities in terms of their use of the world's oceans.