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Greece reports mass Turkish air incursions as tensions simmer

REUTERS

 

The eight Turkish soldiers, who fled to Greece in a helicopter and requested political asylum after a failed military coup against the government, are escorted by police officers as they leave the Supreme Court in Athens, Greece, January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

 

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece reported mass incursions by Turkish military aircraft on Wednesday, amid tensions over Athens' failure to hand over Turkish soldiers Ankara accuses of involvement in a coup attempt.

 

Defence ministry officials said they had recorded 138 violations of Greek airspace over islands in the central and southern Aegean, an unusually high number. They were intercepted, they said.

 

Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos criticised what he called Turkey's "cowboy antics".

 

"We want peace, we are not looking for a fight or for trouble in the Aegean, but there won't be an aircraft which will not be intercepted," Kammenos told Antenna Television.

 

A Greek court last week blocked the extradition of eight Turkish military officers Ankara accuses of involvement in a failed coup in July 2016. Turkey said relations between the two countries would be reviewed.

 

Turkey and Greece, members of the NATO military alliance, came to the brink of war in 1996 over the ownership of uninhabited islets known as Imia in Greek and Kardak in Turkish.

 

A statement by a Greek deputy shipping minister in early January on plans to make 28 small Aegean islands habitable stoked Ankara's ire.

 

"Greece is trying to take advantage of Kardak and similar rocky areas. Greece will not be permitted to open new areas here," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said during a roundtable interview with reporters on Wednesday.

 

On Sunday, Turkey's chief of staff and the heads of the navy, air force and land forces went to inspect a naval headquarters and passed close to Kardak, the military said in a statement.

 

On Wednesday, Kammenos flew by helicopter over the region and threw a wreath into the sea to commemorate three Greek officers who died in a helicopter crash during the 1996 crisis.

 

"It was my obligation to be there ... I won't ask for anyone's permission," he said.

 

(Reporting by Michele Kambas, Renee Maltezou and Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Andrew Roche)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-02

[jollyhangmon]

>Mass incursions of Greek airspace< now, that sounds typically like The Sultan Erdogan, probing around a bit how far he can go ...

Too far actually and not just where this topic is concerned.

Mainly because of obviously too many nations - which should have spoken up unmistakably long since - depend on his Incirlik airbase ... 

[geriatrickid]

Erdogan has a new friend in Russia. he plays with fire as the EU  may be unhappy with Greece, but they are unhappier with the blackmailer Erdogan.

[bangon04]

8 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Erdogan has a new friend in Russia. he plays with fire as the EU  may be unhappy with Greece, but they are unhappier with the blackmailer Erdogan.

He already knows that the EU will not let him in anytime soon. Why do you think Cyprus Re-unification is suddenly a priority for Turkey?  Back door by any chance? Russians will love to keep their money in Cyprus...

[Kasset Tak]

Lets see, Turkey shot down a Russian plane in Syria because it flew over Turkey for what, 10 seconds or something like that and now they are entering Greece airspace but don't get shot down! I guess that the only thing that stop the Greeks from shooting down those airplanes is that they are both NATO countries...

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Kasset Tak said:

Lets see, Turkey shot down a Russian plane in Syria because it flew over Turkey for what, 10 seconds or something like that and now they are entering Greece airspace but don't get shot down! I guess that the only thing that stop the Greeks from shooting down those airplanes is that they are both NATO countries...

Yes, that Russian plane was bombing innocent civilians, potentially Turkish citizens.  It was warned numerous times, but ignored the warnings.  A bit of a difference from what's going on now.  But then again, Turkey and Greece have been at each other for years! LOL

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

Yes, that Russian plane was bombing innocent civilians, potentially Turkish citizens.  It was warned numerous times, but ignored the warnings.  A bit of a difference from what's going on now.  But then again, Turkey and Greece have been at each other for years! LOL

 

Turkey still occupies parts of Cyprus after an illegal invasion. The Greeks and Turks don't require much to set things off.

 

Turkey has a very large military, especially land forces. Erdogan knows the EU are stalling and don't really want him in. He's tried blackmail and it's not working. Turkey is becoming thick with Russia. The whole point of NATO was to counter the USSR and Warsaw Pact. Maybe Turkey see the "new" Russian Federation as less threatening and more friendly to Turkish interests. 

 

If something kicks off between two NATO members who gets the support? If Greece, then Turkey could expand into South East Europe - many Mulims in the countries that used to be part of Yugoslavia, many ethnic Turks in Austria and Germany. How would the EU react - Germany not really re-militarized yet; most other member states have relatively small standing military forces. France way over to the West; UK on it's way out of the EU and maybe not see that NATO should be supporting either; who knows with Trump. 

 

If Russia was playing up in the North, stirring in Ukraine, threatening the Baltic States, poking at Poland and Scandinavia whilst Turkey aggravates in the South, pushing Greece, stirring up large Muslim communities already resident in the EU, provoking in Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and rattling the Serbs.

 

And China starts pushing the USA in the pacific to divert their attention.

 

Could be very interesting, and worrying times.

[Grouse]

Unless Turkey rapidly reverts to secularism a la Ataturk, it has no place in NATO. We don't need missile bases or listening posts in Turkey these days. 

 

Turkey should be firmly warned off

 

Sadly, the UK is increasingly morally bankrupt. TM would go along with anything for the slightest sniff of a business deal. We should have Typhoons in Cyprus on standby. Not much point using them in Iraq now....

[harrry]

As was said at the time.  Turkey made one mistake with saving Kibris.  It stopped before it reached the sea on the other side.  UN were sitting there in their pretty blue bonnets saying all they would do was watch while Greece launched its final solution to elininate the Cyprus citizens of Turkish origin.   Ah well the blue bonnets were so sweet.

[Grouse]

I was not suggesting that Turkey was interested in a land grab. More like sabre rattling.

 

We certainly don't want to re-open the can of worms that is the post WW2 history of Cyprus.

 

I would like to see an INDPENDENT re-unified state not tied to either Greece or Turkey.

 

I re-iterate that Erdogan is getting out of line. Does anyone think these soldiers that escaped would be treated fairly? Just as if they were Kurds and Armenians?

 

At least we should be grateful that the new POTUS has not offered diplomatic intervention ?

[Galactus]

turks and greeks started again one more time.

and problems over small rocks in the sea. these two small pieces of rock are  not habitable as no water or fertile soil.

if i were turks, i gave those two rocks to greece.

but Greece started this stupid tension over two pieces of rock by saying they will make these islands habitable! plus by not giving back alleged coup maker soldiers to Turkey.

why they need to do that apart from trying to agitate turks?

by allowing people to settle down on these rocks will not be bringing any single benefit to greece and actually, they need to subsidize those possible inhabitants; transportation, water, food etc

and while greece is having major economic problems!

i believe both sides are acting like kindergarten kids on two pieces of rock in the sea, nothing else.

[Galactus]

12 minutes ago, Grouse said:

I was not suggesting that Turkey was interested in a land grab. More like sabre rattling.

 

We certainly don't want to re-open the can of worms that is the post WW2 history of Cyprus.

 

I would like to see an INDPENDENT re-unified state not tied to either Greece or Turkey.

 

I re-iterate that Erdogan is getting out of line. Does anyone think these soldiers that escaped would be treated fairly? Just as if they were Kurds and Armenians?

 

At least we should be grateful that the new POTUS has not offered diplomatic intervention ?

 

will those coup maker soldiers be treated fairly in Greece or just walk away like they did nothing?

if they involved in a coup, they need to give those soldiers back to turkey by international laws.

[Grouse]

14 minutes ago, Galactus said:

 

will those coup maker soldiers be treated fairly in Greece or just walk away like they did nothing?

if they involved in a coup, they need to give those soldiers back to turkey by international laws.

Will they be treated fairly under the law?

 

I think there is a real risk of harm and that is why they have been offered sanctuary. It's the humane thing to do.

 

I see Turkey becoming more totalitarian, more Islamic and less tolerant. Shame for the Turks.

[Galactus]

5 hours ago, Grouse said:

Will they be treated fairly under the law?

 

I think there is a real risk of harm and that is why they have been offered sanctuary. It's the humane thing to do.

 

I see Turkey becoming more totalitarian, more Islamic and less tolerant. Shame for the Turks.

why shame on turks? shame on f ing bigot erdogan.

 

[Grouse]

55 minutes ago, Galactus said:

why shame on turks? shame on f ing bigot erdogan.

 

Quite correct, sir!

[Grouse]

10 hours ago, Galactus said:

why shame on turks? shame on f ing bigot erdogan.

 

I said shame FOR the Turks!