With overflights of Turkish fighters in the Aegean recorded almost on a daily basis, Ankara is attempting to distort reality by talking about harassment of Turkish F-16s by Greek fighters during NATO’s mission in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Anadolu Agency cites information received from sources in the Turkish Ministry of National Defense and reports that “warplanes of NATO member Greece deliberately locked Turkish warplanes on their radar to prevent them from carrying out an important NATO mission.”
The publication claims that this harassment by Greece is an attempt to target NATO activities, while the same Turkish sources stressed that “Greece does not hesitate to risk even NATO missions to harass Turkey”.
As noted, immediately after the supposed blocking of the radar of the Turkish F-16s by Greek fighters “the necessary response was given and the Greek aircraft were removed from the area”.
Anadolu reports that the issue was forwarded to NATO authorities by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense and that “the Greek military attache was called to give an explanation as the Greek aircraft jeopardized the NATO mission.”
The same sources cited by the Turkish news agency note that “such harassment is incompatible with the alliance and that Greece seeks to increase tensions.” In addition, the report states that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs proceeded with diplomatic initiatives with the relevant parties.
According to information from MEGA, the Turkish aircraft were earlier than planned in the airspace of Greece without filing a flight plan. They were immediately “locked” by the radars of the Greek fighters and fierce air battles followed.
It should be noted that a barrage of violations of the national airspace of the islands of the Aegean throughout the archipelago was also noted today by 23 Turkish fighters (of which 15 carried weapons), 2 Turkish naval cooperation aircraft (an ATR-72 and a CN- 235) and two Turkish UAVs that entered the Athens FIR without filing a flight plan. In 8 cases, the process of intercepting them by the Greek fighters evolved into a virtual dogfight.
As it became known from GEETHA, 20 violations of air traffic rules were recorded in the Athens FIR, which developed into 78 violations of the national airspace of the islands of the Archipelago: 42 violations by the 2 UAVs and 36 violations by the fighters (including 9 pairs and a trio of Turkish F-16s, as well as 1 pair of Turkish F-4s).
In all cases the Turkish aircraft were identified and intercepted by corresponding Greek fighters in accordance with international rules, according to standard tactics, while in 8 cases the interception process developed into an engagement.
It is recalled that two of the violations of the national airspace were made by the 2 pairs of Turkish F-16s that flew in the morning over Divunia and Kamilonisi Kasos at 27,000 feet.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs went on a protest march to Ankara for today’s overflights of Turkish F-16s in the Aegean.
