The Evros River incident of 19 December 1986 was a
skirmish
Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an ir ...
between Greek and Turkish soldiers along the
Evros river
Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,Feres on the Greco-Turkish border.
According to Greek reports, the incident began at 11:15 a.m, when a 3-man
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...
patrol met with a
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
patrol, along the Evros river border area. It is claimed that a Greek soldier, Pvt. Zissis Karagogos, met with one of the Turkish soldiers, who offered to trade cigarettes, but on setting down his rifle and helmet, was fatally shot by a Turkish soldier lying in wait, leading to both parties opening fire on each other.
According to reports from Turkish officials, the incident occurred on the Turkish side of the border and it was the Greek soldiers who first crossed the border and opened fire on a Turkish party.
The resulting action lasted more than 2 hours, and saw other Turkish soldiers rushing to the scene of battle. Two Turkish soldiers, Lt. Hakan Turkyilmaz and Pvt. Mehmet Kalyon, were killed, while another Greek soldier was injured.
Turkish and Greek soldiers have exchanged fire in the past, as Greek troops often have to stop refugees from entering the country illegally via the Turkish border, but this incident was the first in which there were casualties. Throughout this period, Greek soldiers along the border with Turkey were on alert, after receiving reports that Turkey planned to help thousands of refugees illegally slip into Greece.
In response to the death of one of its soldiers, the Greek
Ministry of National Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
demanded an apology and compensation.
Turkish forces increased security along the border and the Cabinet met in emergency session. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Greek Ambassador to protest the firing. While Greek forces in the area were put on high alert.
In the end, both sides deemed the exchange a "local one" and did not escalate the situation. Top military and civilian authorities from both countries later met to discuss a border protocol aimed at preventing future confrontations. Despite border tensions remaining high, violent clashes between Greek and Turkish soldiers have since been avoided.
See also
*
1987 Aegean crisis
A crisis took place in late March 1987 between Turkey and Greece as part of the Aegean dispute. Turkey learned that Greece was starting to drill for oil in the Aegean Sea in the vicinity of Thasos, a Greek territory. In response, the Turkish survey ...
- border dispute between Greece and Turkey the next year that almost escalated into an all-out war.