Turkey summoned the Greek military attache and filed a complaint with NATO after Greek fighter jets allegedly harassed Turkish fighter jets that were conducting an important mission for the military alliance, Turkey's state-run news agency reported Tuesday.
The Anadolu Agency said F-16s belonging to Greece harassed Turkish pilots flying the same model by putting Turkey's aircraft under a radar lock during the NATO mission over the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey gave the necessary response and forced the planes to leave the area, Anadolu said, without elaborating.
Anadolu said Turkey's defence ministry notified NATO officials about the alleged harassment and summoned the Greek military official in Ankara, accusing Greece of endangering a NATO mission.
Greece rejected the Turkish version of events.
The Defence Ministry said five Turkish jets appeared without prior notification to accompany a flight of U.S. B-52 bombers which hadn't been due to have a fighter escort through an area subject to Greek flight control.
It said four Greek fighters were scrambled and chased off the armed Turkish planes, adding that Athens informed NATO and U.S. authorities of the incident.
Greece also accused Turkey of 78 violations of Greek airspace Tuesday with 23 planes, 15 of which were armed.
Although both NATO members, Turkey and Greece have decades-old disputes over an array of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and disputes over the airspace there.
The disputes have brought them to the brink of war three times in the last half-century.
Tensions flared in 2020 over exploratory drilling rights in areas of the Mediterranean Sea where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic zones, leading to a naval standoff.
Turkey has accused Greece of violating international agreements by militarising islands in the Aegean Sea.
Athens says it needs to defend the islands many of which lie close to Turkey's coast against a potential attack from Turkey's large fleet of military landing craft.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app