Aegean Sea

An animal protection official was attacked for feeding stray animals in the Aegean province of Manisa’s Yunusemre district on Dec. 16.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday urged the Greek government to speed up transfers from refugee and migrant camps on the Aegean islands to the mainland, warning that overcrowded facilities on Lesvos, Chios, Leros, Samos and Kos were ill-equipped to deal with the coming of winter.

An application filed by a mining company to search for gold and silver mines in the Aegean resort island of Gökçeada in the northwestern Çanakkale province has been withdrawn after environmental concerns, according to a statement released by the Environment and Urbanization Ministry’s Provincial Directorate.

The Turkish Coast Guard on Dec. 14 rescued at least 68 migrants stranded on a rocky islet in the Aegean Sea.

The Aegean resort island of Gökçeada is on the verge of environmental damage from plans to construct a gold mine, prompting criticism from authorities and residents of the island.

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake rattled the Aegean Sea early on Dec. 8, according to an official statement.

As winter sets in, 12 humanitarian groups have urged Greek authorities to end their "containment policy" and relocate asylum seekers stranded in overcrowded and unsafe island camps to the mainland.

With reception centers for migrants on the Aegean islands reaching breaking point, local authorities on Lesvos go on strike on Monday to draw attention to the problem.

The 78-year-old captain of a speedboat that collided with a tourist vessel off the Saronic island of Aegina killing four people in August of last year died on Thursday, it emerged on Friday.

Thrasyvoulos Lykourezos was remanded in custody almost immediately after the tragedy and remained in prison for a full year.

A plane heading to the Aegean resort of Bodrum from Istanbul was delayed on Nov. 11 after a dispute erupted when a man kissed his wife.