The Greek coast guard fired shots on a Turkey-flagged freighter in the Aegean Sea on July 3, the captain of the ship has stated.

Axar.az reports citing Huriyyet Daily News.

Haluk Sami Kalkavan, the captain of M/V ACT told private CNN Türk in a phone call that Greek coast guard boats fired shots on the ship off the island of Rhodes.

According to Deniz News Agency, the freighter was heading to the Gulf of İzmit from the southern port of İskenderun.

Kalkavan said the Greek coast guard instructed him to approach the Rhodes port in international waters but he refused to obey the call and briefed the Turkish side of the situation.

The coast guard then fired shots in the direction of the ship as it was heading to Turkish territorial waters, Kalkavan said adding that there were 16 bullet holes in the ship.

He also said the freighter was now in Turkish waters bound for Marmaris and was not at risk of taking on the water.

Private broadcaster NTV reported that two Turkish coast guard boats had arrived at the scene and officials were in contact with the related institutions over the incident.