Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos on Wednesday sounded a note of defiance during visits to two Hellenic Air Force bases, on Skyros and in Thessaloniki, following a spike in Turkish violations of Greek air space over the Aegean, Ekathimerini reports.
“Recently Turkish provocation has increased,” Kammenos said from Skyros. “Every day, six to eight planes of the Turkish Air Force provoke us, violating national air space, conducting overflights,” he said. “Our response is immediate. No aircraft will enter Greek national air space and not be intercepted.”
On Wednesday seven Turkish F-16s and three CN-235s carried out a total of 51 violations of Greek air space in the northeastern, central and southeastern Aegean. Two of the Turkish aircraft were armed, according to Greek defense sources.