The shooting occurred 11 nautical miles (20 kilometres) southwest of the Turkish island of Bozcaada on Saturday, according to a Turkish coastguard statement. Following “harassment fire” from two Greek vessels, two Turkish coastguard ships arrived and the Greek vessels left, according to the report. The Greek coastguard confirmed firing “warning shots” at a ship in Greek territorial waters off the island of Lesbos that was “moving suspiciously.” The captain of the cargo ship refused to allow an inspection and was later escorted to nearby Turkish waters, according to Greek coastguard officials, who also stated that they informed Turkish maritime authorities about the incident. The area is well-known for the large number of ships transporting migrants from Turkey to the European Union countries of Greece and Italy. According to the Greek coastguard, ships behaving suspiciously in the Aegean are checked on a regular basis. Both countries have been embroiled in disputes for decades, and tensions have risen in recent weeks, with both sides alleging violations of airspace. Following Russia’s war in Ukraine, Greek officials have expressed concern about another outbreak of conflict in Europe. Ankara has accused Athens of “occupying” some Aegean islands and harassing Turkish jets with S-300 defence systems made in Russia. The claims are denied by Athens. Greece claims it must defend its eastern islands, which include tourist hotspots Rhodes and Kos and are much closer to Turkey than the Greek mainland, against its larger and militarily stronger neighbour. A Greek coastguard vessel is allegedly seen alongside the Anatolian cargo ship on Saturday as the sound of about a dozen gunshots can be heard. A crew member speaks in Turkish, claiming that the Greek coastguard is attacking them. The video, which appears to have been shot on a mobile phone and was released by the Turkish coastguard, shows what appears to be a bullet hole in a window and in the ceiling of the cargo ship’s bridge. According to the Turkish statement, the gunfire was “in violation of international law.” The Anatolian’s 18 crew members included six Egyptians, four Somalis, five Azerbaijanis, and three Turks. An investigation has been ordered by a Turkish prosecutor. Ankara has also protested to Greek authorities, demanding a prompt investigation and explanation. The Anatolian was anchored in the Dardanelles Strait off the Turkish coast on Sunday, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. Last week, the Greek government wrote letters to NATO, the EU, and the UN, asking them to formally condemn Turkey’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric and warning that tensions could escalate into open conflict. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias warned that Turkey’s behaviour could lead to “a situation similar to that currently unfolding in some other part of our continent,” referring to the conflict in Ukraine.