Turkish-Greek tensions cloud NATO drills, Ankara will not participate
The tension lives on between the two neighbors.
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Greek fighter jets fly over the military parade on Independence Day in Athens. (AP)
Though Greece and Turkey are NATO allies, they share a myriad of conflicts and issues that span from refugee issues, maritime rights, to divided Cyprus.
Turkey, upon violating Greece's airspace with fighter jets, has prompted a response from Greece. Athens subsequently accused Ankara of undermining NATO unity by conducting 125 unauthorized flights in a span of 24 hours.
On Thursday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that he addressed the issue to NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg.
“I made it clear to the secretary-general that this type of behaviour by a NATO ally … is unacceptable,” Mitsotakis said.
Last month, the leaders of the two countries, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Mitsotakis, attempted to resolve their dispute and mend ties, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, two days ago, Athens blocked Ankara from a NATO drill, which is bound to take place on May 9. Today, on its part, Turkey said it refuses to participate in the drills, as Greece has manipulated them to suit its political interests.
A NATO air drill, which is Greece-hosted and is dubbed as the "Tiger Meet," will not include Turkey due to the violation of airspace. Athens remarked that Turkey was "neither an ally, nor a friend," suspending confidence-building negotiations in attempts to mend ties, which were supposed to begin next month.
On Wednesday, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Turkey's envoy in protest of the violations in the Aegean Sea, then again on Thursday, when Turkish warplanes flew violently over holiday islands, such as Rhodes and Samos.
