The latest Turkish provocation in the eastern Aegean was even more confrontational that in previous instances, according to Athens, which charged that a pair of Turkish F-16s attempted to harass a Greek military helicopter carrying the country’s defense minister and chief of staff to a remote island.
According to reports, the two warplanes flew at 3.500 feet over the isle of Oinousses, east of Hios (Chios) and west of the Asia Minor mainland at 11.38 a.m. (09.38 GMT), just after the helicopter had taken off.
Greek fighter planes patrolling in the area immediately headed to the specific location, identifying and intercepting the intruding aircraft.
Greek DM Nikos Panagiotopoulos and general staff chief Gen. Costas Floros on Sunday toured at least three small isles in the region, Oinousses, Agathonisi and Farmakonisi.
In a later statement, the foreign ministry in Athens was particularly disparaging, referring to an unacceptable action, while adding “…we call on Turkey to enter the 21th century; to follow the example of Greece and other countries in the area and work productively, amid a framework of rules of good-neighborly behavior, respecting rather that systematically violating international.”
