Turkey, Greek jets engage in mock dogfights over Aegean
Fourteen Turkish aircraft violated Greek airspace
six times on Monday during flights over the north eastern and central Aegean,
Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported, citing the Hellenic National Defence
General Staff (GEETHA).
The six F-16 fighter jets, two CN-235 transport
planes and six helicopters also violated air traffic rules eleven times, the
newspaper said.
GEETHA said the flyovers obliged Greek fighter jets
to engage in mock dogfights on four occasions.
Turkish and Greek jets regularly get embroiled in
such tussles due to disputes over airspace, but the number of incidents have
ratcheted up due to an intensifying row over territory in the Aegean and
Mediterranean this year. The tensions have raised concerns among other NATO
allies for a direct military engagement by the two countries’ air forces and
navies.
Political and military tensions between Turkey and
Greece have increased after Turkey sought to explore for natural gas and oil
off the coast of Cyprus and Greek islands, using a maritime agreement with
Libya as the foundation.
The United States and European Union are calling on
Greece and Turkey to stand down their militaries and for direct talks to
resolve the impasse.
