SAMOS SHOOTING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19860, 25 July 1934, Page 10

SAMOS SHOOTING

TURKEY OFFERS PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION British Official Wireless RUGBY, July 23. In reply to a question In the House of Commons, in regard to the recent incident off the Greek island of Samos, when Turkish sentries fired on a boat containing three British naval officers, killing one of them, the Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, said further information indicated that the tragic occurrence was the result of a lamentable misunderstanding. The skiff in which the officers approached close to the Turkish coast, was flying no flag, and the officers were not in uniform. According to a statement from the Turkish Government the Turkish coastal patrols had strict orders to summon any suspect craft to be questioned, and in the present case, the sentries beckoned to the boat to approach. There was reason to think that the signal was misunderstood; at any rate, when the skiff moved away, the Turkish guard repeatedly fired. Surgeon-Lieutenant Robinson was killed and fell into the water and Lieutenant Maunsell was slightly wounded. Surgeon-Lieutenant Robinson’s body had not yet been recovered. The Turkish Ambassador had expressed his Government’s very sincere regret that this tragic misunderstanding had occurred. The Turkish Government had informed the British Ambassador that it was deeply distressed at the occurrence. The Turkish Government had also spontaneously expressed a desire to pay a compensation grant to the relatives of the deceased officer.