Georgia Seized Turkish Ships
Georgia coast guard seized on March 11 two Turkish ships in Abkhazian section of the Georgia?s territorial waters, as the officials say, ?for illegal fishing.?
?Both ships were loaded with fish,? Davit Londaridze, a spokesman for the Georgian Border Guard Department told Civil Georgia.
Officials say that the owners of the ships will be fined by 250.000 Lari (approximately $130,000) each.
In February Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili warned Georgia?s neighboring countries to avoid violation of Georgia?s territorial waters, especially in the breakaway Abkhazia?s section.
?I, as a Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, will order to open fire against those ships, which do not obey the orders of the Georgian authorities. We have not donated Abkhazia to any country; it is our territory and everyone, who wants to enter it, should have our permission,? President Saakashvili said on February 20.
In recent months the Georgian coast guard service has seized several ships, which were sailing in Georgia?s territorial waters in breakaway Abkhazia under the flags of Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.
In February President Saakashvili awarded those Georgian coast guards, who participated in recent operations to seize foreign ships in the Georgian territorial waters with up to 1,500 Lari ($680) each.
