‘Hostile environment’: Turkey says Greek missiles locked on jets

Radar of a Greek S-300 missile system based mostly on the island of Crete locked on Turkish fighter jets, state media says.

Greek surface-to-air missiles locked on to Turkish F-16 fighter jets finishing up a reconnaissance mission in worldwide airspace, based on Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Company.

The allegation is the most recent declare from Turkey that its neighbour and fellow NATO member Greece has been focusing on its plane above the Japanese Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea.

The radar of a Greek S-300 missile system based mostly on the island of Crete locked on to the Turkish jets on Tuesday, Anadolu reported on Sunday, citing defence ministry sources.

The F-16s had been at an altitude of three,000 metres (10,000 ft) to the west of Greece’s Rhodes island when the Russian-made S-300’s target-tracking radar locked on, the report added. The Turkish planes accomplished their mission and returned to their bases “regardless of the hostile surroundings”.

Radar lock-ons are thought-about an act of hostility beneath NATO guidelines of engagement.

Greek defence ministry sources dismissed the allegations. “Greece’s S-300 missile system has by no means put a lock on Turkish F-16 jets,” the sources stated, based on state-run Ert tv.

Tensions excessive

Final week, Turkey summoned the Greek navy attache and filed a criticism with NATO after Greek F-16s allegedly harassed Turkish F-16s conducting a mission for the alliance.

Anadolu reported the Greek pilots put Turkey’s plane beneath a radar lock over the Japanese Mediterranean. Turkey “gave the required response” and compelled the planes to go away the realm, Anadolu stated, with out elaborating.

Greece rejected the Turkish model of occasions. Its defence ministry stated 5 Turkish jets appeared with out prior notification to accompany a flight of US B-52 bombers – which had not been as a consequence of have a fighter escort – by means of an space topic to Greek flight management.

It stated 4 Greek fighters had been scrambled and chased off the Turkish planes, including Athens knowledgeable NATO and US authorities of the incident.

Though each are NATO members, Turkey and Greece have decades-old disputes over an array of points, together with territorial claims within the Aegean Sea and disagreements over the airspace there. The disputes have introduced them to the brink of battle 3 times previously half-century.

Tensions flared in 2020 over exploratory drilling rights in areas of the Mediterranean Sea, the place Greece and Cyprus declare unique financial zones, resulting in a naval standoff.

Turkey has accused Greece of violating worldwide agreements by militarising islands within the Aegean Sea. Athens says it must defend the islands – a lot of which lie near Turkey’s coast – in opposition to a possible assault from Turkey’s giant fleet of navy touchdown craft.

Turkey says Greece is stationing troops on islands within the Aegean Sea in violation of peace treaties signed after World Wars I and II.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reduce off dialogue with Greece after alleging Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis lobbied in opposition to US arms gross sales to his nation.