Turkish fishing boats off the coast of Kythira: First-ever intervention by the Mayor of Kythira

In an institutional move—the first of its kind in the long history of the issue regarding the presence of Turkish fishing vessels in Kythira—the island’s municipal government took action today. The mayor of Kythira, Efstratios Charchalakis, sent an official written request to the relevant port authorities, breaking with the wait-and-see stance the municipality had maintained in all previous years, during which there had been no corresponding official intervention.

According to the document with Protocol Number 3036, dated June 29, 2026, the Mayor of Kythira addresses the 2nd Coast Guard Station of Voion (Kythira) marked with «URGENT».

This move comes in response to the local community’s growing concern; as noted in the text, the municipal department is receiving «strong complaints and grievances from dozens of citizens and residents of Kythira» lately.

The focus is on Kapsali and its proximity to the coast

The document describes the problem as a «the increasing phenomenon of commercial fishing vessels flying the flag of the Republic of Turkey passing through». The main point of the request focuses on the distance of the vessels from the island, as it is reported that they are moving in «the minimum distance from the coast as well as from residential areas on the island of Kythira», citing the area in Kapsali. At the same time, it is emphasized that these movements are recorded «within Greek territorial waters and the Greek EEZ».

Based on the above, the Mayor requests that the Port Authority immediate notification of his, seeking clarification on two specific points:

The applicable legislation regarding the legality of these crossings.
The procedures followed by the competent port authority.

The Background of the Issue

The activities of these vessels in the waters off Kythira are a regular topic of reporting for the Kythera.News and the Adelin FM. In the past, the two journalistic sources have repeatedly reported strong protests by the local Fishermen’s Association, as well as video footage showing Turkish fishing boats approaching sheltered bays on the island (Melidoni, Komponada, Chytra).

As far as the central authorities and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs are concerned, the long-standing position conveyed in the past is that these vessels operate as tugboats transporting bluefin tuna cages from the Mediterranean to Turkey. According to the authorities, their presence near the coast falls under the right of «innocent passage» or constitutes a forced approach (refuge) due to adverse weather conditions, with their course being continuously monitored.

The significance of today’s development lies in the fact that, despite the long-standing nature of the phenomenon and the occasional protests by fishermen, the municipal government had chosen, until recently, not to get officially involved.

With the submission of document 3036/29-06-2026, the Municipality of Kythera is now seeking institutional clarification. Kythera.News will continue to monitor the issue, awaiting the Official response from the port authorities regarding the legal framework and the controls in place in the area.