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| Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras |
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Turkish jets buzzed his helicopter as he was flying on Monday to a Greek island to mark the anniversary of the 1821 uprising against Ottoman rule, but Turkey said there was no attempt to intercept his flight.
โThey forced the helicopter I was on to manoeuvre low until Greek jets intercepted the forces violating our national air space,โ Tsipras said in a speech on the island of Agathonisi, a few miles from Turkeyโs Mediterranean coast.
โThe message I want to send them is that such foolish actions have no meaning, they spend their gasoline for nothing. We will always be there to defend our national integrity.โ
A Greek military official told Reuters that Greek F-16 fighter jets intercepted the Turkish jets about four miles away from Tsiprasโs helicopter.
A Turkish security source said the Turkish jets were conducting routine missions. โThere has been no interception attempt by Turkish fighter jets during the Greek prime ministerโs activity today,โ the source said.
Though NATO allies, Turkey and Greece have long been at odds over issues ranging from ethnically split Cyprus to air space and overflight rights. Relations have worsened since Greece blocked the extradition of eight Turkish soldiers accused by Ankara of involvement in 2016โs failed military coup.
