Answer Ankara’s claimswhat Greek fighters they blocked their radars Turkish F-16s who performed NATO duties in the Eastern Mediterranean and tried to block the Turkish ones, the Defense Ministry said.

Turkey claims to have responded to this action and that the Greek fighters were withdrawn from the area, while claiming that the Greek military attache was called to the Ministry of Defense for explanations.

Athens refutes Turkey’s claims by clarifying that Turkish F-16 fighter jets interfered with a NATO-approved flight of an American B-52 aircraft into the Athens FIR in violation of Air Traffic Regulations without providing a flight plan and were intercepted in accordance with international regulations and in accordance with established practice .

Ministry of the Interior announcement

“The Department of National Defense announces that following consultations and agreement between GEETHA and NATO Air Command (AIRCOM), at noon on August 22, 2022, an American B-52 aircraft flew into the Athens FIR.

The B-52s entered from the southwestern border of the Athens FIR to exit west of Megistis Island. The flight of this aircraft took place as part of a demonstration of inter-allied cohesion and solidarity.

Although the B-52’s movement was not intended to be escorted by fighters, as had happened on other occasions in the past, five unidentified air trails were moving east of Karpathos, interfering with the B-52’s route, violating air traffic regulations by not filing a flight plan.

Immediately, four PA F-16 fighters took off. from Crete, who identified the unknown traces as armed Turkish F-16 fighter jets intercepted in accordance with international regulations and standard practice.

The competent authorities of NATO and the USA have been informed about this. Any other description of the relevant facts is false.”

Turkish violations

A flurry of violations of the national airspace of the Aegean Islands across the archipelago today was marked by 23 Turkish fighter jets (of which 15 were armed), 2 Turkish naval aircraft (one ATR-72 and one CN-235) and two Turkish UAVs that entered the FIR Athens without filing a flight plan.

In 8 cases, the process of their interception by Greek fighters turned into a virtual dogfight.

As it became known to GEETHA, 20 violations of air traffic rules were recorded in the FIR of Athens, which grew into 78 violations of the national airspace of the islands of the Archipelago: 42 violations by 2 UAVs and 36 violations by fighters (including 9 pairs and a trio of Turkish F-16, as well as 1 pair of Turkish F-4s).

In all cases, the Turkish aircraft were identified and intercepted by the respective Greek fighters in accordance with international rules, in accordance with standard tactics, and in 8 cases, the interception process escalated into combat.

Recall that two violations of national airspace were committed by two pairs of Turkish F-16s flying over Divuniya and Kamilonisi Kasos at an altitude of 27,000 feet in the morning.

MFA: Report on Turkish overflights

It is noted that the Greek Foreign Ministry, as usual, went on a protest march towards Ankara in connection with today’s overflights of Turkish F-16s in the Aegean Sea.