New airspace row heightens tensions between Greece, Turkey

06/01/2009

ATHENS, Greece -- Local media reported on Monday (January 5th) that Greece has sent two protest notes to Turkey's Foreign Ministry regarding a new dispute over the airspace border in the Aegean Sea. Turkey says Greek helicopters flying over the small Dodecanese island of Farmakonisi violated its airspace on two separate occasions last week. Turkish air defence control warned the Greek pilots they had entered Turkey's Flight Information Region and asked them to leave the area immediately. Greece, however, claims the area over Farmakonisi belongs to its national airspace. Greek President Karolos Papoulias rejected Ankara's accusations and called Turkey a "fractious neighbour". The president decided to make Agathonisi, another small Dodecanese island near Farmakonisi, one of the stops on his cross-country tour marking Epiphany celebrations Tuesday. (Ta nea - 06/01/09; Express, Kathimerini - 05/01/09)