Turkish jets violated Greek airspace on Monday, with a pair of F-16 fighter jets entering Athens’ Flight Information Region (FIR) without submitting a flight plan and flying over four islets in the eastern Aegean, according to the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), the Kathimerini daily reported.
The two jets entered Athens’ FIR shortly after 10 a.m. on Friday and flew at 29,000 feet over Farmakonisi, Lipsi and Arkii.
At 10.37 a.m., the same pair of aircraft flew over Ro at 26,000 feet and half an hour later over Farmakonisi at 27,000 feet.
In all cases, the Turkish military aircraft were recognized and intercepted by Greek fighter planes in accordance with international rules of engagement.
The tension between the two NATO allies has been on the rise for a while now, with Ankara accusing Greece of militarizing the Aegean islands.
On Thursday Turkey’s Service of Navigation, Hydrographic and Oceanographic Research issued a NAVTEX claiming that Greece has violated the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne by militarizing the islands of Chios, Psara and Samos.