Foreign Ministry issues demarche to Ankara for overflights

The Foreign Ministry issued a demarche to Ankara, as is the practice, for the overflights of Turkish F-16 in the Aegean on Tuesday.

Specifically, two pairs of Turkish F-16 entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) without submitting a flight plan, violating Greece’s airspace.

One pair flew over the islet of Divounia, northwest of Kassos and Karpathos, at a height of 27,000 feet at 10.57 am, while the second pair flew over the islet of Kamilonisi, also northwest of Kassos and Karpathos, at 27,000 feet at 11 am.

The Hellenic National Defense General Staff announced that the jets were identified and intercepted by Greek fighters, as set out by international law.  

Diplomatic sources note that this ministry practice of issuing a diplomatic note is followed in all challenges facing Greece.