New airspace violations by Turkey in Aegean

Formations of Turkish military aircraft on Monday committed 21 violations of Greek airspace above the Aegean, after first carrying out seven separate infringements of the Athens Flight Information Region, which they entered without submitting flight plans.

Sixteen of the Greek airspace violations were committed by a Turkish CN-235 naval cooperation aircraft that flew north to south from the island of Limnos to the island of Rhodes. Four violations of Greek airspace were committed by six Turkish fighter planes and one airspace violation by a Turkish helicopter flying south of the Aegean island of Samos. According to Turkey, helicopters patrol the region in response to the refugee crisis.

In all cases, the Turkish aircraft were identified and intercepted by Hellenic Air Force fighter jets. Two of the Turkish planes were armed.