Eight Turkish fighter jets venture into Greek airspace

Eight Turkish fighter jets flew in formation and violated Greek national air space in the Aegean on December 14, flying at low altitude over the Aegean island of Andros, the Greek Kathimerini reported on December 15 2009.




This latest incursion by Turkish fighter jets, according to Greek defence systems, was composed of four F-16s and four F-4s.



Reportedly, the planes flew over a Greek military firing range on the island during a Greek air force exercise. The Turkish formation eventually withdrew after Greek air force headquarters, based in Larissa, called their Turkish counterparts in Eskisehir and complained.



Turkish planes have made frequent incursions into Greek airspace. On August 19 2009, Turkish jets violated Greek airspace for more than 30 minutes. This violation was also perpetrated by a formation of eight Turkish fighters that skimmed past the island of Farmakonisi in the Aegean. Four flew low but the group left after an interception by Greek aircraft.



In the summer of 2009 alone, Turkish aircraft flew over Greek territory – including islands such as Agathonisi and Farmakonisi – dozens of times. A total of 363 incursions into Athens’s Flight Information Region (FIR) were recorded and Greek jets were dispatched 58 times to ward off Turkish aircraft as of August 2009 alone