Fifteen Egyptian fishermen were arrested Monday off the coast of the Turkish city of Mersin for illegally fishing in Turkish waters, according to Anadolu new agency.
The fishermen, boarding two fishing boats, were fined $37,000 and will be deported to Egypt after legal procedures are carried out. Over 234 boxes, filled with fish and fishing equipments, were confiscated by the Turkish authorities, Anadolu reported.
Several Egyptian fishermen have been arrested fishing in territorial waters of neighboring countries, such as Sunday, Libya, Tunisia and Turkey.
On Sunday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry called on fishermen to respect the sovereignty of other countries and not to fish in their waters without prior permits. Last week, Libya arrested 16 Egyptian fishermen and Sudan released 101 others after long detention.