Greece confirms explosives carrying boat detainees terrorists

Greek police announced that detainees of explosive laden boat seized off Greek island are members of DHKP/C terrorist organization.

Greek coast guards on Wednesday detained four people off Chios Island aboard a boat heading for Turkey while carrying weapons and explosives and  55 year old offender of the bomb attack on Turkish Justice Ministry and the headquarters of Justice and Development (AK) Party mounted on March 19 was among the detainees.

Greek police since the seizure of an explosive laden boat have been carrying out operations, in relation with the same incident, with raids in homes in Athens. One Turkish man aged 51 carrying a fake Bulgarian ID who is also wanted by Germany was detained on Thursday in Exarcheia, a neighborhood in downtown Athens.

Greek authorities said 17 Turkish citizens were detained, 11 people in Athens, 3 in Thessaloniki and 3 on Chios island, in operations, two of whom were later arrested.

Greek Police also said 2 anti-tank bullets, 4 Russian hand grenades, 4 firing mechanisms, 2 guns, 195 bullets, 4 ammunition clips were captured aboard the boat.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with his Greek counterpart Antonis Samaras to discuss seizure of an explosive laden boat off Greece's Chios Island.

Erdogan thanked his counterpart for the successful operation that the Greek coast guards carried out.

Adapted from Anadolu