Turkish fighter jets, F-16s, entered Greek airspace for the first time in the last 30 months. The jets, armed with air-to-air missiles, violated air traffic regulations by entering the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR). The incident reportedly took place on September 1.
There is an ongoing dispute between the two nations over islands in the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea. Both Greece and Turkey are members of NATO, but their differences have pushed them dangerously close to conflict. Greece backs India, while Türkiye supports Pakistan.
Greek officials have expressed surprise over the incident. A few experts observed that Athens is planning to resume the Greece-Cyprus underwater electrical cable project, and the violation may be a warning to halt the work.
The incident occurred just days after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Greece of encouraging anti-Turkish sentiments and warned of “serious consequences.”
Fidan’s comments came just before the UN General Assembly in New York, where Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis are expected to meet.
Greek officials are now keeping a close watch after the incident.
