Greece continues to violate Turkish air, sea borders

Greece has sharply increased its aggressive behaviour in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, as evidenced by the increase in the number of violations by Athens of Turkish airspace and territorial waters in the region.

If last year 1,616 such cases were recorded, in just eight months of this year, this figure reached 1,123, Anadolu Agency reports.

Since August 15, fourteen incidents have been recorded with the Greek Air Force pursuing Turkish aircraft on patrol. During the specified period, Greek fighters blocked the Turkish Air Force F-16 radars for a total of 3,372 seconds to prevent the departure of combat aircraft.

The last time a such incident occurred on September 1 over the island of Rhodes. Greece attempted to intercept a Turkish maritime patrol aircraft on a mission as part of NATO's Mediterranean security operation “Sea Guardian”.

The Turkish National Defence Ministry emphasised that the plane was not armed. An adequate response was given to the actions of the Greek side, the ministry said.

Greece's actions also violate the terms of the 1988 Athens Memorandum of Understanding signed by Türkiye and Greece. This document bans the use of the Aegean Sea as a military training ground during the high tourist season from June 15 to September 15.

The sources in the Turkish ministry said that an adequate response was given to all the aggressive actions of the Greek side. The ministry also recalled that Türkiye has invariably called on Athens for dialogue and good neighbourliness.

“This kind of aggressive action by our NATO ally Greece, which is contrary to international law and the spirit of alliance, is absolutely unacceptable. Our country, which does not threaten anyone, is a strong, reliable, and effective ally both at the regional and global levels. Türkiye is making all the necessary efforts to strengthen peace and stability,” the ministry said.

The ministry urged Greece to avoid new adventures and focus on a positive agenda, adding the de-escalation of the situation will have a positive impact on both bilateral relations and regional cooperation.

It was stated that some politicians in Greece continue their provocative actions and rhetoric for the sake of personal ambitions. Moreover, Athens continues to build up armaments, despite the dire consequences of this for the Greek economy and population.

The ministry is pleased that many politicians, scientists, and retired military men in Greece understand and accept the arguments of the Turkish side.

Representatives of the Turkish military department noted that Ankara is waiting for a delegation of the Greek Defense Ministry, which was invited to the Turkish capital to participate in the fourth round of talks on confidence-building measures between the two countries.

“However, our calls for good neighbourliness and dialogue should not be taken as weakness. The Turkish Armed Forces are determined to protect the rights and interests of our country. There should be no doubt about this,” the ministry warned.