The Greek diplomatic position was revealed hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened “sudden” military action if what he sees as a confrontational attitude in the Aegean continues.
Erdogan’s comments came after Turkish planes on a mission in the Ankara region were targeted by Greece’s S-300 air defense system on Sunday, saying he condemned the “hostile act”.
The Greek ministry said it would not engage in “slanderous” statements and “daily threats” with Turkey, but pledged to “immediately inform” NATO of Turkey’s positions. .
Although Greece and Turkey form NATO’s eastern wing, they have spent decades in dispute over the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, while the Greek and Turkish militaries continue to challenge each other over disputed airspace boundaries.
The latest episode of tension took place last Sunday, when the Greek military fired anti-aircraft missiles at two of its fighter jets flying between the islands of Crete and Rhodes, according to Ankara.
Greek government spokesman Yanis Ikonomou called the Turkish accusation “absolutely false” and “propaganda”, saying the escalation of tension in Turkey in recent days was mainly due to the “internal situation” the country was living in.
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