Turkey Rejects Greek Territorial Infringement Claims

A senior Turkish military official on Wednesday denied that Turkish forces are violating Greek airspace and territorial waters.

Responding to allegations from Athens that Turkish planes and vessels were entering Greek waters and airspace in and around the Aegean, General Ilker Basbug, the Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff said Greece should work to reduce tension in the region, rather than make unsubstantiated allegations.

“If Greece insists on the vicious circle of creating problems in the Aegean, we believe, it will be wasting its power and energy,” Basbug said during a press conference.

“The Turkish armed forces place great importance on decreasing tension in the Aegean, on improving Turkish-Greek friendship and on preserving the status quo in the Aegean determined through international agreements,” the General said.

According to the Deputy Chief of Staff, the allegations by Athens were based on Greece claiming a 10-mile air space beyond its coastline, which Basbug said was not in line with international rules.