Turkey keeps up overflights in Aegean
Unauthorized flights over the eastern Aegean by Turkish jets continued unabated on Wednesday, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA) said, reporting that a pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets conducted five overflights between 11.07 a.m. and 11.23 a.m. The military aircraft flew over Farmakonisi, Lipsoi, Arkioi and Agathonisi.
Earlier, a pair of Turkish F-16s flew over the remote border islet of Kinaros while a second pair flew over Kinaros and the adjacent islet of Glaros. A Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) also flew over Kinaros.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar accused Greece on Wednesday of “provocative” actions, claiming that Athens is pursuing “expansionist and aggressive policies” that “fuel instability.”
Akar insisted that Greece’s “hostile” stance shows that it “has become arrogant to the extent that it ignores the fundamental principles and values of NATO.”
“Let’s take a closer look at the developments in the Aegean. When we look at the developments in the Aegean, we see that while Turkey is really making such efforts for peace and stability, our neighbor Greece unfortunately continues its expansionist and aggressive policies with provocative actions and rhetoric that fuel instability, adding new provocations every day,” he said.
He also insisted that “in Cyprus, the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, while Turkey is open to dialogue, we have never allowed any fait accompli and we will not allow any fait accompli in the future.”
He further called for “an impartial, objective, prudent and reasonable approach from the United States and our other NATO allies.”
On Tuesday US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Robert Menendez denounced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his authoritarianism and Turkey’s aggression against Greece, reiterating he will not approve any sale of US F-16s to Turkey if Ankara does not change its stance.
