Turkish blast sparks Greek panic

A huge explosion which shook the Greek island of Rhodes is said by Turkey to have been part of a naval target practice exercise.

The explosion broke windows and caused panic among residents of the island, which lies 400km from mainland Greece but is just off the Turkish coast.

The torpedoes hit the bull's eye - The high level of the performance was appreciated by all observers

Turkish chief of staff

According to the Turkish chief of staff, Huseyin Kivrikoglu, an old navy vessel taken out of service and stripped of all equipment was blown up using two torpedoes fired from a submarine.

"The Greek press agency was saying that the Turkish navy hit and sank their own war ship.

"This is a total lie," Mr Kivrikoglu said on Turkish TV.

Before the Turkish clarification there had been reports of casualties and material damage when a ship was hit by accident.

Chief of Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu

In fact, observers had "appreciated the high level of performance during the exercises", the chief of staff said, according to a Turkish TV report.

Despite a recent warming of relations, Greece and Turkey are still in dispute over territorial claims to small, unpopulated islands in the Aegean Sea.

The two countries, both members of Nato, have been on the brink of war three times in the past three decades.

A report on Greek TV said after the explosion, the hospital, the fire department and the police force were all mobilised on Rhodes.