Middle East

Turkey denies Aegean dolphin deaths linked to navy drill

Associated Press
Published | Updated

In this photo provided by Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation members of Archipelagos institute carry a dead dolphin at a beach of Samos island, Aegean sea, Greece, on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. A Greek marine conservation group says a "very unusual" increase in Aegean Sea dolphin deaths over recent weeks may be linked with recent Turkish naval exercises in the area. A total 15 dead dolphins have washed up on the eastern island of Samos and other parts of Greece's Aegean coastline since late February, according to the Archipelagos Institute.(Bre-Anne Smith /Archipelagos via AP)

In this photo provided by Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation members of Aechpelagos institute inspect a dead dolphin at a beach of Samos island, Aegean sea, Greece, on Sunday, March 24, 2019. A Greek marine conservation group says a "very unusual" number of Aegean Sea dolphin deaths over recent weeks may be linked with recent Turkish naval exercises in the area. A total 15 dead dolphins have washed up on the eastern island of Samos and other parts of Greece's Aegean coastline since late February, according to the Archipelagos Institute.(Anastassia Miliou /Archipelagos via AP)

Turkey's military has sought to defend itself against accusations from a Greek marine conservation group that its naval exercises have been behind a recent spike in the number of dolphin deaths.

The military posted on Twitter on Tuesday a video and photographs of dolphins happily accompanying vessels during naval exercises.

On Monday, Greece's Archipelagos Institute said that 15 dead dolphins have washed up on Greece's Aegean coastlines since late February. While it couldn't prove any link it said the spike came in the wake of the Feb. 27-March 8 Turkish military drills that made use of sonar and practiced with live ammunition.

The Turkish military said the armed forces "maintain their sensitivity to the environment even during operations" and "acted with the consciousness of protecting our friends at sea."