Greek–Turkish relations

Greek and Turkish fighter jets engaged in dog fights over the Aegean, as two Turkish F-16 fighter jets and a helicopter violated Greek airspace five times over the south and north eastern Aegean. Two of the Turkish jets were armed. Two infringements of the Athens FIR were also recorded.

A pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets violated Greek national air space three times in the northeastern and central Aegean Friday, Greek defense officials said.

The Turkish jets, which were armed, also violated the Athens Flight Information Region once, the same officials said, adding that there was one mock dogfight.

Greek and Turkish officials meeting in Istanbul on Monday expressed a joint interest in scaling down tensions in the Aegean, sources said following the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, apparently because the latter was feeling unwell.

Six Turkish aircraft violated Greek national air space in the northeastern, central and southeastern Aegean six times Monday, according to Greek defense officials. The two Turkish jets - F-16s, both of which were armed - and four helicopters carried out six violations of the Athens Flight Information Region.

Over 1,000 people were intercepted by Turkish forces trying to enter the country illegally from Syria on May 14, the military stated on May 15.        

Just under 1,090 people were found by Turkish forces' border units, the General Staff stated, without saying whether the influx was at a particular point or along Turkey's lengthy southern border with Syria.        

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 13 held a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Beijing on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation organized by the Chinese government. The meeting held in the Four Seasons Hotel lasted for an hour. 

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras promoted an agenda of positive relations between Greece and Turkey during his meeting with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this morning in Beijing.

According to some sources, the Turkish president expressed the wish to fully implement the Lausanne Treaty.

Germany has granted political asylum to numerous Turkish military personnel and their families holding diplomatic passports, German media reported Monday, amid strained relations between the two NATO allies.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias warned members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday to stay out of Greece’s domestic affairs saying whoever doesn’t abide with signed agreements between the EU and the OIC will “pay a price” at a European policies level.

Twelve refugees died and a dozen more are missing after a boat carrying them from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos sank in the Aegean, the Greek authorities confirmed on April 24, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.