The Turkish armed forces on Tuesday denied allegations by Greece that two Turkish fighter jets had come dangerously close to a Greek passenger plane over the Aegean Sea.
Complaints of increased air violations were aiming to put Ankara in a bad light with the European Union (EU) and force it to make territorial concessions to Greece, the Turkish general staff said in a statement, carried by Anatolia news agency.
Earlier this week, Greece accused Turkey's army of endangering security in the region.
The Turkish F-16 planes, which were apparently participating in military exercises, were on a collision course with an Olympic Airways airplane travelling from Athens to Istanbul with 70 passengers on board, airline and air force sources said Monday.
"This report is totally untrue, it is a provocation. Passing 10 kilometers from a civilian plane is neither a violation nor harassment," the Turkish general staff said.
"The fact that Greek officials are constantly accusing Turkey even though all international rules, agreements and NATO regulations justify Turkey's position, leaves the impression that the Aegean disputes will be brought to the EU agenda," the statement said. (Albawaba.com)
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