‘Unfounded and false’: Greece rejects Turkey’s allegations over Greek military overflights

Greece on Saturday rejected as “unfounded and false” Turkey’s allegations that Greek military jets recently violated the country’s airspace, Ekathimerini reports. 

In a statement, the Greek Foreign Ministry said: “These allegations are another attempt by Turkey to misinform and deny responsibility for its illegal and provocative actions.”

“It is paradoxical, to say the least, that a country which recently conducted 42 [military] flights over Greek territory in a single day and which threatens Greece with war in violation of fundamental principles of the UN Charter, accuses Greece of [engaging in] provocative activities,” the statement said.

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“With its actions, Turkey once again undermines regional security and stability, as well as NATO’s cohesion at a crucial juncture.”

Turkey claimed Greece violated its airspace twice last week, and that it had replied to those violations on Friday “based on reciprocity and in accordance with” the Turkish Air Force’s rules of engagement.

“Greece is once again attempting to create a misperception against [Turkey] in international public by resorting to tension that it started with its own provocative actions,” Ambassador Tanju Bilgic, the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, said in a statement.

“We strongly condemn the Greek violations of our airspace.”

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Source: Ekathimerini.