The freighter Sea Bird, which sailed from Ukraine and was bound for Tunisia, sent a distress signal after sailing into rocky islets in the southwestern Aegean Sea, the coast guard said in a statement.
Nearby vessels rescued all 16 Syrian crew, a coast guard official said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident.
Three anti-pollution vessels have rushed to the scene to check whether there was any leaking from the freighter, the coast guard added.