Distress Call at Sea
On Friday, 12 September, at 22:40, Aegean Boat Report was alerted to a sailboat in distress approximately 14 nautical miles southwest of the Greek island of Tilos.
According to passengers, the vessel was carrying around 80 people, including many children. The sailboat had lost engine power, was taking in water, and was in urgent need of rescue.
Videos sent from onboard show people crying desperately for help, while a Greek Coast Guard vessel circled the sailboat with searchlights. Eyewitnesses reported that the Coast Guard even fired shots against the sailboat — the reason remains unknown.
We published the case on social media to make public awareness, we feared that the group would be pushed back.
Greek Coast Guard Denies Finding the Boat
When Aegean Boat Report contacted the Greek Coast Guard, officials claimed they were “searching the area” but had “not found anything.”
This was a blatant lie. At the same time as authorities denied knowledge, videos from the sailboat clearly showed a vessel with search lights circling close by, people onboard said it was a vessel with a Greek flag, grey with blue stripes in the front.
For those onboard, the situation was terrifying:
“They are here with big lights, but they don’t help us.”
“Please, we need rescue, the boat is broken.”
Disappearance After “Rescue”
Later that night, Aegean Boat Report received information that the people had been taken onboard a Greek Coast Guard vessel. But contrary to maritime law and standard rescue procedures, nobody was brought to land. Instead, the entire group of ~80 people vanished without trace.
This disappearance fits a systematic pattern: people in distress are collected by Greek authorities, only to later reappear drifting in Turkish waters inside inflatable life rafts.
Found in Turkish Waters
At 06:25 on Saturday, 13 September, the Turkish Coast Guard reported finding four life rafts off the coast of Marmaris, Muğla district.
- 74 people rescued, including 18 children
- Nationalities: 67 Iranian, 7 Iraqi
- 1 suspected smuggler apprehended
- Rescue carried out by vessels TCSG-26, KB-116, KB-14
Photographs released by the Turkish Coast Guard show the life rafts overcrowded with people, being recovered by patrol vessels.
This matches exactly the timeline and the number of people who disappeared after the Greek Coast Guard’s intervention near Tilos.
A Dangerous and Illegal Operation
Evidence strongly indicates that the Greek Coast Guard:
- Approached the sailboat in distress
- Fired shots to intimidate passengers
- Took the people onboard their vessel
- Transported them 67 neutical miles
- Forced them into life rafts during the night
- Abandoned them in Turkish waters
Such operations are not only illegal but extremely dangerous. The sailboat carried around 80 people — far beyond its safe capacity. Forcing them into small inflatable life rafts and leaving them adrift could easily have led to mass casualties.
Covering Up Crimes at Sea
The Greek Coast Guard’s official denial — claiming they never found the boat — stands in sharp contrast to overwhelming evidence:
- GPS coordinates (14 nm SW of Tilos)
- Video evidence from passengers
- Eyewitness testimony of shots fired
- Turkish Coast Guard reports and photos the following morning
By denying involvement while simultaneously carrying out a pushback, Greek authorities once again attempted to cover up serious human rights violations.
International Law and Human Rights Obligations
Under international maritime law, specifically the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention), Greece has a clear obligation to:
- Respond immediately to distress calls
- Rescue people in danger, regardless of nationality or status
- Disembark survivors at the nearest place of safety
Under international human rights law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights, collective expulsions and pushbacks are strictly prohibited.
By forcing these 80 people back into Turkish waters, Greek authorities violated the principle of non-refoulement and denied their right to seek asylum.
A Systematic Practice
This incident is not isolated. Aegean Boat Report has documented hundreds of similar cases in recent years, involving tens of thousands of people.
Each case represents:
- A human tragedy, where lives are endangered at sea
- A direct breach of international law
- A deliberate policy by Greek and European authorities to deny people their right to seek protection
Conclusion
On 12 September 2025, ~74 people in urgent need of rescue near Tilos were instead subjected to a violent and illegal pushback operation.
- The Greek Coast Guard lied about not finding them.
- People were fired upon, collected, and then disappeared.
- Hours later, they were found in life rafts drifting in Turkish waters.
This case once again demonstrates how human rights are systematically violated at Europe’s borders — and how authorities work to conceal their crimes.
Who Will Speak Out?
On the night of 12 September, nearly 80 people vanished after being “rescued” by the Greek Coast Guard, only to reappear hours later drifting in life rafts in Turkish waters.
The evidence is clear — videos, coordinates, testimonies, and official Turkish Coast Guard records. Yet, apart from Aegean Boat Report, no one documented this case as it unfolded.
Why is it that, in one of the most active migration zones in Europe, other organisations remain silent? Why is it left to a single watchdog to expose systematic human rights violations that put countless lives at risk?
Until more voices join in, the question remains:
Who will hold Europe accountable, if those on the ground choose to look the other way?