Angry reax by Athens after 2 Turkish warplanes near port of Alexandroupolis; Ankara peeved over US presence in area

Turkish provocations continued on Friday with a particularly eyebrow-raising airspace violation near the extreme northeast port city of Alexandroupolis, with Greece’s foreign ministry saying two Turkish warplanes flew over the sea within 2.5 nautical miles of the location.

The incident is judged as particularly egregious, given that official Turkey over the recent period has repeatedly expressed extreme annoyance over a US military presence in the Alexandroupolis region, with the city’s port serving as a hub for shipments of NATO equipment and materials to southeast Europe.

The incident also comes in the wake of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ official visit to Washington D.C. this past week, where although Turkey was never mentioned by name, indirect references pointed to provocations, saber-rattling and revisionism by Ankara.

According to the Greek foreign ministry, a strongly worded demarche was handed to the Turkish ambassador in Athens, while the Greek government also intends to brief EU and NATO allies.

A statement issued by the ministry later read: “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the unprecedented violation of national sovereignty by two Turkish fighter planes, which illegally entered our national airspace and approached Alexandroupolis at a distance of only 2.5 nautical miles. This action is a very clear escalation of the Turkey’s provocations. It is part of Turkey’s effort to promote its neo-Ottoman revisionism, one that violates all fundamental rules of international law.

This action undermines the cohesion and immediate priorities of NATO, and poses a clear threat to the European Union at a critical time, as the port of Alexandroupolis is a key transport hub for strengthening our allies.”