Greek fighter, Turkish reconnaissance planes crash
over east
ANKARA (AFX) - The Turkish army confirmed that a Turkish plane and
a Greek F-16 fighter jet collided over the eastern Aegean Sea after
what it described as 'interception' by Greek warplanes of Turkish
jets on 'routine training' flights in international air
space.
The Turkish pilot ejected and survived the crash, a statement by
the general staff said.
'At around 12:48 pm (0948 GMT) today planes of the Greek Air Force
intercepted planes of the Turkish Air Force, on routine training
flights in the Aegean and Mediterranean international air space, 35
miles south of Rhodes island,' the statement said.
'During the interception, an F-16 of the Turkish Air Force collided
with an F-16 of the Greek Air Force and both planes crashed.
'The crash occurred as a result of a 'dogfight,' it said.
'Investigation into the incident continues,' the statement
added.
Warplanes from troubled NATO allies Turkey and Greece frequently
engage in mock dogfights over the Aegean, in airspace claimed by
both countries.
Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul said the Turkish army chief
had contacted his Greek counterpart to clarify what had happened,
Anatolia news agency reported.
Rescue vessels and Super Puma helicopters were sent to the crash
site to locate the pilots.
Turkey is under European Union pressure to resolve territorial
disputes with Greece, a bloc member.
In 1996, the two neighbours nearly went to war over an uninhabited
rocky islet in the Aegean, but the US stepped in and defused the
tension.
Diplomats from both countries have engaged in closed-door talks
since January 2002 to try to resolve their disputes, but no
concrete result has been publicly announced so far.
After decades of animosity, bilateral ties have notably improved
since 1999 when deadly earthquakes in the two countries triggered
an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity between their people and,
in a significant diplomatic gesture, Greece also backed Turkey's EU
membership bid.
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