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Reactions intensified in Greece after Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry firmly rejected Greek claims of airspace violations in the Aegean, prompting concern in Athens that a three-year period described as “calm waters” may be coming to an end.
In a statement on Aegean flights, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said claims of airspace violations are rooted in what it described as Greece’s historically unprecedented and inconsistent approach to territorial waters and airspace.
The ministry stressed that flights carried out by Türkiye in the Aegean are conducted in international airspace and do not constitute violations.
The statement drew immediate attention in Athens, where it was interpreted as a signal of a shift away from recent efforts to reduce tensions.
The Greek daily Kathimerini headlined the development as “Calm waters are over,” writing that Ankara had sent a message it could return to what the paper described as a strategy of tension.
The newspaper said Türkiye’s remarks amounted to an acknowledgment that it conducts flights in areas Ankara considers international airspace but which Athens claims as Greek airspace.
Kathimerini argued that this stance effectively confirms the end of what Greece has called a period of “calm skies” in the Aegean.
The newspaper claimed Türkiye’s position reflects broader disagreements, including differing interpretations of the “Athens Declaration” signed by Ankara and Athens on Dec. 7, 2023, as well as developments linked to cooperation between Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration.
Greece’s territorial waters in the Aegean extend six nautical miles, but Athens unilaterally declared its airspace as 10 nautical miles in 1931 based on a royal decree.
As a result, flights in the four-mile zone between six and 10 miles are regarded by Greece as violations, while Türkiye considers the same area international airspace.
Greek media also reported that Turkish and Greek fighter jets encountered each other on Dec. 19, describing the incident as an alleged “dogfight” and claiming it was the first such encounter in nearly three years, underscoring persistent sensitivities over the issue.
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