Turkey Provokes Tension in the Aegean Sea; Athens Blames Ankara

Greece has accused Turkey of provoking tension in the Aegean Sea related to violations of its airspace, reports Kathimerini.

"The numbers speak for themselves," said Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexandros Papaioannou during a press briefing, adding that Greece recorded 168 airspace violations and 42 illegal flights in just one day on April 27.

Papaioannou characterized Turkey's provocations as "unprecedented," noting that military aircraft have also flown over populated Greek islands in the eastern Aegean, including Rhodes, Kos, and Kalymnos. He stated that the number of flights last Wednesday exceeded the previous record of 23 set in 2020.

"At this critical and challenging time for Europe and NATO, Turkey's behavior violates fundamental principles of international law and undermines NATO cohesion," Papaioannou said, adding that repeated incursions contradict the spirit of good neighborly relations.

He mentioned that Athens has informed the UN, EU, and NATO about the "violation of Greek sovereignty." He indicated that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will raise the matter during his visit to the United States on May 16-17.