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Turkish seaman arrested, charged of spying off Salamina naval base

Xinhua, February 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

A 51-year-old Turkish seaman was arrested on Wednesday and charged with spying on the Salamina island naval base, the Greek shipping ministry announced on Friday.

The sailor, who was a crew member of the Turkish cargo ship "Makbule Ana," was spotted taking photos of the base by Greek Navy officers who alerted the Greek Coast Guard, according to a ministry press release.

The man was detained once the vessel docked at the nearby port of Elefsina, near Piraeus, and appeared before a misdemeanor court in Piraeus on Thursday.

The defendant was released pending his trial which was set for next week.

The incident occurred as bilateral ties have soured in recent weeks over territorial rights in the Aegean Sea and the Greek Supreme Court's ruling against Ankara's request for the extradition of eight Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece last July during a failed coup attempt.

Turkish authorities consider them traitors, but Greek judges decided against their extradition citing concern as to whether they would have a fair trial in Turkey. Endit