New violations of Greek airspace by Turkish fighters
A pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets flew over the Greek islands of Panagia, Oinousses, and Farmakonisi on Wednesday. Specifically, the pair of fighter jets flew over Panagia and Oinousses at approximately 2.30 p.m. at an altitude of 1,500 feet, and later flew over Farmakonisi at 2.46 p.m. at an altitude of 9,00 feet. The Turkish jets were identified and intercepted by Greek fighter jets as laid out by international law and practice.
Similar incidents have been recorded both on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Kathimerini, increased Turkish violations of Greek airspace may be linked to the visit of General Konstantinos Floros, Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), to military units stationed on Greek islands. The general has already visited units on Samos, Ikaria, Agathonisi, and Fournos.
Ankara, as part of a wider effort to promote its stance on the demilitarization of the islands, states that visits by military and political officials on the islands of the east Aegean are violations of past diplomatic agreements governing their sovereignty.
