Greece condemns Erdogan’s ‘unacceptable’ comments on airspace violations
Greece's Foreign Ministry on Friday criticized comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who reportedly said his country will respond every time Greek fighter jets fly over the Aegean, saying it is “completely unacceptable to compare the two events.
“Turkey’s effort to equate the flights of Turkish military aircraft that violate Greece's national sovereignty with the identification and interception missions the Hellenic Air Force carries out in defense of national sovereignty, is completely unacceptable,” the ministry said in a press release.
“Turkish military aircraft violate Greek national air space on an almost daily basis, including through low-altitude overflights of inhabited Greek islands. This is a practice that Greece systematically condemns and reports, both bilaterally as well as to the competent international bodies.”
The ministry said the legal status in the Aegean is "clear and fully enshrined" in International Law, "leaving no room for doubt.”
In an interview with news outlet Haberturk on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly said that whenever Greek military aircraft take off in the Aegean, Turkish jets will follow suit.
