Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Greece of “hostile action”, alleging Greek defence used a Russian-made missile system to harass its F-16 fighter jets carrying out a reconnaissance mission in international airspace.
Erdogan’s allegations, made yesterday in a video address celebrating the centenary of the Greek-Turkish War (1919-1922), comes after Turkish defence ministry sources said on Sunday that a Greek missile system based on the island of Crete locked on to the Turkish jets on August 23.
According to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the F-16s were at an altitude of 3,000 metres to the west of Greece’s Rhodes island when the Russian-made S-300’s target-tracking radar locked on.
Athens rejects the Turkish claims, with a Greek defence ministry source telling Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT: “Greece’s S-300 missile system has never put a lock on Turkish F-16 jets.”
In his video address, Erdogan said: “Just like a century ago, we know the real intentions of those trying to waste our country’s time and energy.”
The Turkish President went on to say that Greece’s “harassment” of Turkish airspace and aircraft is evidence of Athens’ “hostile attitude” which is an affront to NATO and its allies.
Erdogan was also critical of the United States for offering F-35s to Greece “and not to us.”
READ MORE: Athens dismisses Erdogan’s 1922 Greek-Turkish war comments
SOURCE: Ekathimerini
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