[ALBSA-Info] Tensions between Greece and Turkey

[Agron Alibali]

Territorial tension continues between Greece, Turkey 
 





ISTANBUL, Turkey (October 21, 2000 6:22 p.m. EDT ) -
In another day of rising tensions in the eastern
Mediterranean, Turkey warned of "undesired results" if
Greece persisted in flying over two Aegean islands on
Saturday, while Turkish jets blocked Greek warplanes
from participating in a joint NATO exercise. 

Greece's Defense Ministry asked NATO to cut short the
multinational exercise in Turkey after the two Greek
A-7 Corsair jets were forced to return to base. 

There was no official response from NATO. But a NATO
official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
alliance was trying to resolve the dispute. 

Tensions have been escalating for days between the two
neighbors, which are at odds over military boundaries
in the Aegean Sea. 

Turkey said it warned against letting Greek planes fly
over the islands of Lemnos and Ikaria, considered
"demilitarized zones" under international agreements. 

"If in the coming days Greek planes continue to
infringe on flight security, it could lead to
undesired results," Turkey's General Staff said in a
statement. 

Greece says there are no such international
agreements. Defense Minister Akis Tsochadzopoulos
accused Turkey of violating NATO exercise plans by
placing the two islands out-of-bounds. 

Troops from the United States, Britain, Germany, Spain
and Italy, as well as Greece and Turkey, are taking
part in the NATO exercise, Destined Glory, which ends
Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Turkish and Greek warplanes also engaged in
intense mock dogfights over the divided island of
Cyprus when Turkish jets tried to prevent four Greek
fighter bombers from taking part in a separate
exercise there Saturday, the Cypriot Defense Ministry
said. 

Turkey did not confirm the incident over Cyprus, which
has been divided between Greece and Turkey since the
1970s. 

The display of force "could block all roads to peace"
between Turkish and Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriot
leader Rauf Denktash said. 

Territorial disputes in the Aegean and on Cyprus are
among the thorniest of issues dividing Greece and
Turkey, which have come close to war three times in
the last 26 years. 

Relations began thawing last year after the two
countries agreed to focus on secondary issues such as
tourism and economic cooperation to build friendship. 

On Saturday, Greece's foreign minister, George
Papandreou urged "respect for sovereign rights,
peaceful resolution of disputes and respect for
international law" between the two countries. 

He stressed that the European Union, which accepted
Turkey as a candidate for EU membership last year,
sought mutual respect as a basis for better
Greek-Turkish relations. 




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