Europe News
Greece accuses Turkey of airspace violations
Jul 13, 2009, 12:30 GMT
Athens - Hundreds of residents on the tiny Greek island of Agathonisi were startled out of their homes on Monday after low-flying Turkish fighter jets violated the country's airspace in the eastern Mediterranean, officials said.
Greece's defence ministry said eight Turkish fighter jets violated Greek airspace and flew low over the tiny island, frightening its 130 residents.
Greece and Turkey have longstanding territorial disputes in the Aegean.
Greece claims a 10 nautical-mile air exclusion zone over its territory, including islands situated close to the Turkish coast, while Turkey recognises only a six nautical-mile zone.
Greece's defence ministry says Turkish jets regularly enter the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) without submitting flight plans while Ankara argues that its military aircraft are not obliged to submit plans.
The two countries came to the brink of war in 1996 over an islet in the Aegean and often stage mock dogfights in disputed airspace.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
These Turks are going to get what's coming to them, they still havent eveolved into humans yet.
Yea right Tom. In fact Turks have been around a long time. People like you having been saying stuff like that before even Columbus discovered America. Also your racist comments show you to be a basic fool. Turks and Greeks are racially related, way more so then Turks are to Arabs. Seriously, I can excuse your ignorance about the world but keep your dirty racist mouth shut if you don't know anything.
Turkey bullies Greece because it can. The UK and America and strangely even Italy back Fyrom and Turkey over Greece. Greece has no option but to be ritually humiliated by this islamic nation at least until America and the UK alter their stance in favour of Greece and international law. Greece I feel sorry for you, but right now, the UK and America like the taste of Turkey and have done for the last 50 years.
It seems despite all the American propoganda about the war on terror and all their conflicts with muslims around the world, they always side with Turkey, Bosnia and Albania (all muslim) in the Balkans. I don't know, could it be deliberate destabilisation of Europe and the EU? Turkey would never try to intimidate another NATO ally without explicit consent from Washington...and you wonder why Greeks are rabidly anti-American, who can blame them.
The point is, that Turkey, regardless of wether it has a more powerful army or not, is clearly demonstrating an abusive and arrogant behavior. The ball is in their court, and if the Turks ever expect to enter into the EU and gain the respect of the international community by exerting such behavior, they are gravely mistaken. The Greeks are a peaceful people, and I know as a fact that Greece would rather not engage in armed conflict with any nation, especially its neighbors. Nonetheless, history has shown that the Greeks are a proud, courageous people, who will not hesitate to retaliate with all their might and love for their country to any aggressor. Obviously, such a point of tension has not yet come, but I would advise both countries, especially Turkey, not to instigate each other, because the consequences would be disastrous.
Just north of Turkey there is a Big Bear that sits and watches and this Big bear shares the same Orthodox faith with Greece. Why doesn't Turkey fly over Russian Territory and see what will happen.
I hope the Turks keep this act of aggression up! One day, the Greeks may strike back with lethal force!! and say enough is enough!!
A time will come when the Turks will go too far, and the only option will be to strike back.
At that point, there is nothing that any politician or government in Greece, will be able to say or do, that will stop an all out attack on Turkey.
Not even the American 6th fleet will be able to prevent a war like they have in the past. In 1974, aircraft from a 6th fleet carrier intercepted Greek fighter jets en-route to strike Turkey in support of Cyprus. In 1996, the 6th fleet was again sent to the Aegean to prevent war...after Turkeys PM pleaded with Clinton to intervene because Greece was about to enter a full scale mobilization for war.
The next time, the Turks wont be so lucky.
Things have been building up for a while now, the tension is growing and is almost at breaking point.
Recent statements by the EU and America are not good for Turkey.
Only last week the Obama administration warned Turkey to end it's violations over the islands, because it could lead to a 'hot' incident. A clear warning that if they don't back off, Greece will have a green light to hit back.
And trust me, green light or not, the Hellenic Air Force will not hold anything back.
This time it wont be one Turkish F16 sent to the bottom of the Aegean, Turkish command bunkers and the like in the middle of Turkey will be sent to Allah.
Enough is enough. The Greek people have had enough. The Greek armed forces have had enough.
Turkey keeps poking, it will get a nasty reaction soon enough.
And such an action against Turkey will have popular support in Greece and the wider Balkans. Hell, even Israel wont make statements supporting Turkey because they know how unreliable an ally Turkey really is.
alexander the great is macedonian, not greek or hellenic...
and the word 'balkan' is a turkish word:))
The Turks are playing a game to see how far they can push Greece because they want to test their Pilots and Armed Forces.
This is typical Turk agression from the Turkish Armed Forces.
The sad thing is that We Greeks and the Turkish people are very similar, but the Turkish Armed Forces have a different agenda, they see Greece and Balkans as theirs and not as independant nations.
The Turks who say that they are a Secular Nation wear one mask to their Bed Buddies the US and UK but behind the mask is a Ultra Islamic Radical Military that wants to expand.
They want our Islands, they want our Coast Line and they want to provoke Greece to War.
If Turkey keeps this up there will be a tragic mistake made and the mistake wont be the Greek side but the Turks will find out what happens when you arouse Greeks worldwide.
I am Greek American, I will support my Country of my birth, Greece.
I am a Greek Citizen and US Citizen as well but I will go back to Greece to fight if ANYONE (FYROM, TURKEY, ALBANIA or anyone else) keeps pushing us to the point of no return.
xyz - Alexander the Great is was and always will be Greek/Hellenic. As is Macedonia. Read a few books (not the propaganda taught in FYROM) before posting useless ignorant comments. Thank you.
Sven - at least someone gets it. Thank you for at least understanding what Greece is going through with it's neighbours. I'm also surprised that Italy does not support Greece in such matters, however even in World War 2, Italy was after Greece from the get go. They failed.
As for Turkey, it has been doing this for a long, long time. And the big powers of the world (i.e. US/UK etc) turn a blind eye because A: Turkey has direct access to Iraq, therefore access to oil and B: To promote de-stabilisation in the Balkans. Why would they want this? To have access to the Aegean Sea and to prevent the region from prospering. They will also try to get this through the dispute Greece has with FYROM currently as to the use of the name Macedonia. The US and UK both recognise this northern country as Macedonia. Historically incorrect of course as educated people know but not as important obviously in US politics as it is to access these areas. Turkey is allowed to do as it pleases and what pleases Turkey is to intimidate the Greek people and to hopefully claim more Greek land. And the US turns a blind eye every time. How convenient.
As already mentioned, Greece has already lost so much to Turkey, it does not want it back. Our religious Christian Orthodox centre is Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (renamed to Istanbul). Also Smyrna (Izmir), Pontus, Trapezounta (Trebzon) to name a few, all the genocides you can have all that. Greece does not want to go to war with anyone and wants to be peaceful and get along with it's neighbours. Just leave Greece alone. But I guess that is too much to ask.
It seems inevitable that blood will be spilt at some point. The US and the UK (through inaction) along with Turkey will be the cause, not Greece. But if it's a fight that everyone wants, so be it. Greece has repeatedly shown that it is a country greater than the sum of it's parts.
Turkey are a bigg shame to humanity , its often easy to pic on greece
when you live in a country far away from Turkey.. No one could understand
how it is to live in the region near Turkey.
And the Turk race has nothing to do with an Greek one, turks are mongols from asia , FYROM are slavs or bulgars.
Dont take notice from peolpe whom makes jokes about greek are same as an turk or macedonia is not greek.
Its typical from an person from UK they dont like greece at all mainly for that they never could be smarter or rule us as the do with other peolpe.
See whar they did to us 1912 , when they realize if greece are an bigg country it will be no more UK so it was better to stop support
greece and help Turkey instead so they could robb turkey after that.
I am Greek and Turkish and I support Greece 100%, you dont know what the Turk Government does to its Ethnic Minorities in Turkie as the Government has the same Military structure since Kemal Ataturk.
The Military actually is separate and can almost do anything they please.
Ethnic Kurds, Azeris, Assyrians and what is left of the Greeks in Turkey are all treated like 3rd class people.
I left Cyprus in 1975 and I can tell you the brutal things that Turk Army did to us who were both Greek and Turk.
My mother was beat until she lost an eye and soon after died because our father was a Turk who married a Greek. Our family left Smyrni back early in the 1920's to Cyprus and lived in peace but the British were not fair to anyone on the Island either.
When my father settled in Cyprus in the 60's he was a Turkish Naval Officer and and just retired, he met my mother and they fell in love.
They married in Paphos and we lived with both Turk and Greek Cypriot families in our Horio.
When the Turk Army came in 1974 they Killed my father for being a traitor and tourtured my Mother, The Turk Army is the main cause here and the political system in Turkie is the same as any other Islamic Republic.
Islam is still the powerful uniting cause in Turkie and even though Turkie says it is a Democracy, it surely is not.
We speak only Greek at home and we are Greek Orthodox Christians, our father who was a Muslim cob=nverted to Christian Orthodoxy as he found out his real roots were Greek 100's of years ago. During The Ottoman period the Turks would make the Greeks convert to Islam or they would be killed if they were subjects outside Anatolia.
My Fathers family were Greeks from Makedonia and his Grandfather was forced to claim Islam.
My father was born in Thessaloniki and was raised a Greek but when he was only 12 years he was taken and brought to Ankara, he was placed in a Labor camp for children and then he was converted to Islam.
He was sent to the Istanbul and then was drafted to the Ottoman Navy. He served the Ottoman Naval forces until Turkey became a Republic and then became a Turkish Navy officer, he served with many other Greeks that were forced into the same situation and once he retired he wanted to find his Greek roots.
This is a sad story but a typical story of Greeks from Anatolia and even Greeks from Greece that were enslaved by the Turks.
So when you see the agression of the Turks of today, it is no different then 500 years ago and no differnt than even 1922 and 1974.
I wish I could say otherwise and to the comment of all Turks are Mongols, know your history, many of us who are Turk are really Greeks who were forced to become Turk, only by name or Faith but in our hearts we are Greeks 100%.
I am a Greek Cypriot Citizen and I have relatives in Turkie and Greece and Turk people have good hearts too, remember the people are the ones who suffer at the hands of the ones in power.
Please pray for a solution and pray that Greece stands up to this Bully on the block who is friends with the bigger bully's in the world.
Greece has a very strong Naval Force and even stronger Air Force, once the Turks really cross the line they will feel the force of what Greece can do. The only thing is the US and GB will stop Greece from any Defensive action. This is and will always be the problem.
If Greece were to fly over Istanul or Izmir or God forbid Northern Cyprus you can bet that the Turks would shoot first and ask questions later and teh US and GB would only admonish them and then call Greece the agressor.
We live in a terrible world where Money and Politics rule.
The truth is only one, and it's on the Ellenic (greek side). Those who claim that Alexander was no Ellenic, then they got issues in their brain..perhaps a tumor.
No nation is greater then the Ellenic (greek) nation. They say Greece is small, ya..they think. Greeks still have the whole world in their hands..it is running and existing because of the greeks for many reasons.
Turks related to the greeks? Haha..We all come from Adam and Eve..but related? Of course..with all the rapes the turks had done...its only normal that big number of turks are related to the greeks..duh....
Oh..did I hear 4 times the turks entering greek airspace? Of course..they are afraid of the greeks..and of Saint-Kosma's prophecies..wich half..have happened...and the other half..are remaining to come... One of his prophecies..is that..we will take back the main city that we lost.. CONSTANTINOPLE or INSTAMBUL which is a greek word EIS TIN POLI..which means..to the City..so ya..he prophecized that..1/3 of the turks are gonna DIE..the other 1/3 will escape towards ASIA..and the other 1/3 will get converted by their own will to the ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY.the only true faith, proven and validated..the only 'religion' of Love and Respect.
I cant wait to see all that happening...Cant wait to go visit Constantinople..beeing in the hands of the greeks..were my father was born.
But there are some good turks out there...like the one that helped my father escape from the semptemvriana..and he also saved his two sisters from getting raped by turkish soldiers..so ya..there are good people in every part of the world.
People and races..are all equal in God's eyes..but...the level of ignorance from race to race..can be extreme.
Ah..HOLY GREECE..HOLY ELLAS...YOU GOT GOD HIMSELF BY YOUR SIDE.
Greece even saved the world form the NAZIS..in second world war...where they had..the first victory..and they were attacked by many ennemies at the same time..ah GREEK SOUL..YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER..NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY...If it wasnt for the greek people..and their ancient atlantean civilization..this world..would be...dont even wanna think about it.
So ...Peace ya'll. KEEP IT REAL TILL THE END OF TIMES..BECAUSE THE END OF TIMES..ARE NEAR..AND GOD'S NAME AND TRUTH WILL APPEAR TO THE WHOLE WORLD..EITHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT....AND THATS THROUGH THE GREEKS..OF COURSE.
To any moron who thinks Turks and Greeks are alike racially, perhaps 1% of the Greek population does have some mixture, which is common with any country and it's neighbors, but i you think it's more, grow yourself a brain and some new eyes. No one in my amily of the families of my friends has any resemblance to light or dark skinned turks..
Greece should have formed a strategic partnership with Russia long ago--even in the days of the former Soviet Union. The United States is not a friend of Greece! In fact, no Anglo-Saxon dominated country is a friend of Greece. Greece should not be swayed by the wealthy Greeks of the diaspora. Greece should be for the Greeks. The hell with the United States, Britain, and even the EU. Greece needs to form a military partnership with Russia now. The Turks will continue to engage in escalating provocations against Greek territory as long as there is no price to be paid for their aggresssion. As Greece is a member of the EU, it needs to immediately veto the opening of any new chapter in Turkey's EU bid. The Greek government, quite frankly, needs to show some balls!
I wonder how long it will be before this climaxes to hostilities. The U.S. and UK may like 'Turkish flavour' but the one fact remains that Greece does not need U.S. or UK approval to take Turkey to the Hauge and exercise its sovereign right its territory.
The clear and unequivical aggressor here is Turkey hands down, this point can not even be argued. I wonder however, if the U.S. or UK faced this harassment would they have put up with it for so long? I doubt it! The first reaction would be to launch a SAM and turn the fighter to dust.
Hopefully it doesnt come to that. However, if this continues, which I think it will Greece should respond in kind with a gentle flight of 6-10 F16 Block 52+ or maybe some Euro Fighters fully loaded over Istanbul or perhaps the western rim of Asia Minor.
Territorial dispute or no, all military aircraft are obliged by international law to submit flight plans to the relevant FIR. Turkey's cowboy tactics endanger civilian air traffic as well as causing tensions between two supposed NATO allies.
And this country says it's ready for EU membership.
Greece needs to grow a pair of balls and shoot those Turkish dogs out of the sky.The only thing a bully understands,or respects,is force.Give them hell Greece.
page: 1
A. HamiltonJul 13th, 2009 - 14:17:10
What is implied by the article but should be stated more explicitly is that regardless of what the nautical air boundaries are, 6 or 10 nautical miles, this was a fly-over of the island, a clear violation of airspace and territory. Forget the fact that Turkey doesn't respect the outer 4 miles of airspace from the island. They are flying directly over them!
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