Greece to lodge complaint with Turkey about Lesvos overflights

Turkish fighter jets on Monday violated Greek air space above the Aegean Sea several times and, in an unusual move, flew close to Lesvos, an island struggling to cope with the ongoing influx of refugees.

Two Turkish F16s entered the Athens Flight Information Region between Lesvos and Chios just before 1.30 p.m. and flew over the islet of Oinousses.

Later, at around 3 p.m., two Turkish aircraft – an F-4 Phantom and a KC-135 refueling aircraft – violated Greek air space between Lemnos and Lesvos.

In all instances, the Turkish aircraft were chased off by Greek fighter jets.

The Foreign Ministry in Athens called on the Greek Embassy in Ankara to lodge an official complaint with the Turkish authorities over the violations, which diplomatic sources described as particularly unacceptable in view of the recent agreement between the European Union and Ankara to cooperate in a bid to curb the refugee crisis.

Turkish jets rarely violate Greek air space over large inhabited islands, usually flying over uninhabited islets in a symbolic show of force.