Turkish fighter jets flew over Greeks islands thus violating Greek airspace, while on the ground Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias was holding a meeting with the Turkish ambassador in Athens before his meeting with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
According to a statement by the Greek General Staff, a pair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets flew over the islets of Makronisi and Anthropofagoi in the eastern Aegean. The overflight was at 11.29 a.m. at an altitude of 20,500 feet. A minute later, a separate pair of F-16s flew over the same islets at 13,500 feet.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias met with Turkey’s ambassador to Athens, Burak Ozugergin to talk about biletral relations and regional developments ahead of the Greek minister’s likely visit to Turkey on April 14.
According to media reports, diplomatic sources said Dendias reiterated Athens’ call that Ankara refrain from provocations that risk escalating tensions in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara on Tuesday accused Athens of violating the rights of its Muslim minority, which it calls “Turkish,” and of pursuing policies directed against Turkey, saying Greece should instead “abide by international law.”
Dendias said statements of this sort do not help consolidate a constructive climate between the two Aegean neighbors, the same sources said.
