AEGEAN SEA

A school of dolphins was photographed swimming at Saros Gulf, an inlet of the northern Aegean Sea located north of the Gallipoli Peninsula in northwestern Edirne province. (AA Photo)

A new ferry line will run three times a week from Thessaloniki to the Sporades Islands. The first ferries will depart on June 1, and the seasonal route will be available until September 15.

The Sporades is an island complex located in the northwest Aegean Sea and it includes the islands of Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos, and further south the island of Skyros.

The Turkish Coast Guard Command announced on April 17 that it rescued 41 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea who were pushed back into Turkish territorial waters with one set on fire by the Greek Coast Guard.

The command said on its website that coast guard teams were dispatched to rescue asylum seekers early on April 17 off the Çesme district in İzmir province.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 16 spoke over the phone with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, according to Turkey's Communication Directorate.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has paid a much-anticipated visit to the Turkish capital to discuss the bilateral relations and problems stemming from the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean as part of mutual efforts to normalize the strained ties.

Turkey's vacationing hotspot Bodrum is set to host foreign tourists as the town's mayor expects three times more international arrivals than in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

As preparations for the tourist season pick up steam, the southwestern Turkish tourist destination hopes to receive three times more tourists this year.

Turkey's Communications Director said late on April 9 that Greece harbors terrorist organizations that plot attacks and suicide bombings against Turkey.

Fahrettin Altun said the PKK is among terror groups that are supported by Greece.

A Turkish military jet trainer crashed on April 9 in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

According to a ministry statement, the two pilots of the KT-1 type plane that crashed during its regular training flight were rescued by Turkish Coast Guard teams.

The plane crashed due to engine failure, it said.

Turkey's northwestern region has enjoyed a relatively warm weather free of precipitation over the past few weeks, but a cold spell, accompanied by heavy downpours and strong winds, has returned.

Istanbul, a metropolis with more than 16 million population, was battered by heavy rainfall in the early hours of April 8 following warnings from the meteorological authority and experts.

Turkey's coast guard rescued at least 24 asylum seekers stranded in the Aegean Sea off Ayvalık district in northwestern Balıkesir province late on April 5. 

The asylum seekers, who were attempting to reach the Greek island of Lesbos in a rubber boat, were stranded and drifting at sea after the engine failed near Çıplak Island.