Greek fighter jets scrambled Friday and intercepted two armed Turkish F-16s east of Rhodes after the aircraft entered th...

Greek fighter jets scrambled Friday and intercepted two armed Turkish F-16s east of Rhodes after the aircraft entered the Athens Flight Information Region and refused to leave, triggering two separate aerial engagements as Greek pilots worked to force them out. Turkey put nine aircraft into the Aegean that day across the northeastern, central, and southeastern sectors. The package included the two armed F-16s along with five unmanned aerial vehicles, one CN-235 transport aircraft, and one ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft. The activity generated 15 violations of air traffic regulations and 13 violations of Greek national airspace. All 13 airspace violations were carried out by UAVs. The Hellenic National Defence General Staff confirmed that Greek forces identified and intercepted every Turkish aircraft involved, acting in line with international rules throughout. Officials noted that the conduct of Turkish crews was what led to the two engagements. Greece has seen near-daily aerial incidents in the Aegean for years, rooted in long-running disputes over sea and air boundaries. Athens accuses Ankara of routinely overflying Greek islands, while Turkey insists Greece is stationing troops on Aegean islands in violation of post-World War treaties. The Friday incident marks one of the more significant single-day confrontations in recent memory, with the scale of Turkish aircraft deployed and the double aerial engagement making it stand out from routine intercept missions. #Greece #Turkey #Aegean