Greek–Turkish relations

Turkish fighter jets entered Greece's air space Wednesday, prompting the response of two Greek aircraft, and leading to a dogfight between the two sides, the first such incident of its kind since a failed military coup in Turkey on July 15.

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos Tuesday said recent comments by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are "undermining" the Treaty of Lausanne, which delineated the borders between the two countries, as well as bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Tuesday said recent comments by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are "undermining" the Treaty of Lausanne delineating the borders between the two countries, as well as bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey.

Five Turkish military jets reportedly violated Greek air space in the central and southeastern Aegean on eight occasions on Friday, authorities said.

The fighter jets also entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) five times.

None of the aircraft was armed, authorities added.
 

A Turkish CN-235 transport plane violated Greek national airspace 17 times in the northeastern, central and southeastern Aegean Wednesday.

According to reports, the craft was identified and intercepted according to international law.

Recent comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said that the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne was a defeat for Turkey, are open to different interpretations. Most certainly they marked a negative development for Greek-Turkish relations - at least for as long as Turkey's helm remains in the hands of a leader animated by a quest to build a neo-Ottoman or neo-Islamic regime.

Turkish politicians continue to provoke Greece on the matter of the so-called ‘disputed’ islands in the Aegean Sea.

Tensions between Greece and Turkey over the status of a series of Greeks isles and islets in the Aegean Sea are rising, following a barrage of statements made by the Turkish political establishment.

The Greek military says that two helicopters and one fighter jet violated international aviation rules, entering the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) in the southeastern Aegean on Friday.

They were not armed and authorities said they were intercepted and chased away. There were no dogfights.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has described Thursday's comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that expressed regret over the Lausanne Treaty, signed in 1923, as "dangerous."