Turkish Navy Helicopter flying over a Greek island at 65m altitude

January 11, 2012 | Filed under: Air Force,Featured News

On Tuesday, a Turkish S-70B6 Seahawk helicopter flew over the Greek island of Ro at an altitude of just 65 meters! This is a new provocation in the area of the island of Kastelorizo, more serious compared to the overflight of two Turkish RF-4E fighter jets over Kastelorizo at 300m altitude two months ago.

The helicopter did not take off from the nearby Turkish naval base of Aksaz, but from the air base in Dalaman which is well north. This is important: It is clear that a surprise was attempted. A Navy helicopter solo flight from Aksaz towards the south region of Kastelorizo, would be directly observed by the Greek Air Defense system.

A flight from Dalaman Airport to the south can have a variety of destinations, but due to the distance, almost never reach the island of Kastelorizo and the cluster of islands and islets in the region (Ro, Stroggyli, etc). In this case the helicopter was on the Greek early warning radar system, but became a concern when it moved just 10 miles before reaching the sea.

The helicopter entered the Athens FIR without filing a flight plan.The overflight at an altitude of 200 feet (65 meters) took place at 15:24. The Turkish helicopter left the Greek National Airspace and the Greek FIR before the Greek jet fighters that were scrambled for the interception reached the area.

In another incident later on Tuesday, six Turkish planes entered Greek airspace without submitting flight plans on Monday evening. The six aircraft entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) between the islands of Lesvos and Chios, a short distance from the western Anatolian coast line. Two infringements of air traffic regulations on the Athens FIR were recorded that later developed into 5 violations of national airspace. The Turkish planes were chased out by Greek fighter jets and promptly left the Athens FIR at about 8.40pm.

Sources:
defencenet.gr
athensnews.gr

No related news.

  • Phoevos

    How many Greek islands are there in the Kastellorizo complex? 11 or more?

    “At the south easternmost edge of Greek dominion, spreads out the calm beauty of Kastellorizo. Belying former grandeur the island of Megisti, as it is officially known even from ancient times, derives its name from the Greek word meaning “largest” because it happens to be the largest island in a picturesque cluster surrounding it. The total area of this “polynesia” (island complex) is 11.9 square Kms. It is a mountainous and rocky island. The colorful capital and port is built amphitheatrically around a windless bay on the north western coast.

    Little is known concerning the islands ancient history due to the few written accounts referring to it and the fewer still systematic excavations carried out on Kastellorizo. Neolithic tools, pre-historic walls, stone hewn tombs, a gold crown from the Mycenaean period, Doric inscriptions and other findings pay witness to the fact that the island has been inhabited continuously from very ancient times.

    The safe, natural harbour on the north western coast has always been the islands greatest geophysical gift, as it is unique in the large harbourless surrounding area. Naturally, it once generated an important amount of economic and nautical trade, standing as it does at the crossroads of Europe, Aia Minor and Egypt. ”

    http://www.megisti.info/

    • Phoevos

      On this site, I counted 14 islands. See if you math is the same (don’t foget to count 2 when indicated):

      Kastelorizo is accompanied by a group of smaller islands and islets:
      1. Agios Georgios
      2. Agrielaea
      3-4 Voutsakia (two islets)
      5-6 Megalo Mavropini and Mikro Mavropini
      7-8 Polyfados (two islets)
      9. Ro
      10. Savoura
      11. Strongyli
      12. Tragonera
      13. Psomi, and
      14. Psoradia, together forming a small archipelago designated as the Municipality of Megisti.

      http://www.windmillstravel.com/destination.php?id=67&type=island

  • Sikoseto

    What are they trying to prove? That they’re idiots
    they’re doing a hell of a job of blowing their EU candidacy

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RHSNCCHMVRCXAIP5OWSWVODI4A Eitan

    Next time, just shoot down fighter aircraft, do not chase, unless you want this perverted form of testing your defences to continue. The Hellenic Air Force has already shot down once a TAF F16.
    Regarding helos, the same applies, this was a well planned mission. Helicopters will be used to bring in Turkish special forces. Then to be followed by either amphibious or other means.
    Turkey has a very unstable extreme Islamic leader who believes in a Turkish Caliphate, that will no doubt happen unless action be taken, for the mineral wealth is the ultimate prize. Turkey will go downhill as Europe recedes into a full blown recession.

    Eitan-Golan. Israel.

  • FredNordblo

    My belief is the game the Turks are playing is to provoke a military reaction by Greece in order to use it as an ‘excuse’ to invade the Kastellorizo complex of islands and thereby gaining their long sought after EEZ in the Mediterranean. I know, I know, it would be an illegal move on their part, condemned by the UN, but look at what they are getting away with in Cyprus. The precedent has already been set and it continues still.

    • Nobletool

      Hello FredNordblo
      Right!
      I agree 100% with you.

    • Tyroneez

      @Frednordblo
      It’s quite possible , that turkey is trying to provoke an incident , i’n an attempt to , portray Greece as an aggressor …
      Shouting Down a helicopter , would be a public Relations disaster for Greece , with regard to Turkish public opinion , not to mention the rest of the world …
      All the Turks have to say is the helicopter strayed over Greek territory by mistake …
      It would have to be a lot more than a helicopter , to justify a mitary response …
      These Turkish games are a huge risk for turkey .. And could easily backfire …
      Look at the mavi marmara and all it’s unforeseen conciseness consequences !!!

    • gialiskari

      Please read the history files about Cyprus! What triggered the Turks to invade? Yes, an coup d’etat 1974 in Cyprus by Mr Nikos Sampson, remote controlled by a certain junta of colonels that violated the aggrement of stationing troops on Cyprus.

      When Cyprus became independent in the 60:s threee countries agreed to guarantee its independency. Those three countries were Great Britain, Greece and Turkey.

      From where was the junta? Turkey? No, it was the Greek military regims “last” job before they fell in 1974. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_military_junta_of_1967%E2%80%931974

      So that a great part of Cyprus sees a lot of the Turkish army now is to blaim on the Greek government of 1974 and the Cyprus EOKA movement. The coup when his holiness, archbischop Makarios was kicked out as president became the reason for Turkey to “invade” claiming they came, accordingly to the agreement of providing security for Cyprus, and of course mostly for the Turkish-Cypriot community.

      Best rgds

      • AHamilton

        And if you had read the Treaty of Guarantee which Turkey is one of the guarantor powers to Cyprus, you would know that Turkey could intervene as long as it needed to restore the state of affairs as outlined in the Treaty of 1960. That means that any intervention would only be required only to restore Cyprus as a bi-communal independent state of single sovereignty and to guarante its territorial integrity and security. Turkey does the opposite of this and therefore, in addition to numerous UN resolutions, is in violation of the Treaty. It sounds more like an illegal occupation or colonialism to me. Let’s stop pretending that it’s not. The Republic of Cyprus does not threaten Turkey and since the borders were opened several years ago, there hve been millions of border crossings WITHOUT A SINGLE INCIDENT.

        • Tyroneez

          @ HAMILTON ABOVE

          EXCTACTLY….
          INTERVENTION IS PERMITTED …
          PARTITION IS NOT …

          • kodlu ulusdagi

            You’re playing semantic games. Greek cypriots overrode the 1960 regime by attacking Turkish cypriots in 1963-67 and ethnic cleansing 103 villages. Greece sent 5,000+ soldiers to Cyprus in 1966-67 which it had to withdraw after being threatened with war. All this did not happen in a vacuum. Also, if you want to blame someone else besides Turkey, Sampson, Greece, blame Britain, Ecevit went to Callahan [PM of Britain] on 17-18 July 1974, after the Coup asking for joint intervention but perfidious Albion refused, it even refused allowing its bases to be used. US was in the dying days of the Nixon administration, the rest is history, as they say.

            Greeks overreached in Cyprus twice, and lost each time. They should have taken Annan in 2004. That opportunity won’t come back, ever.

          • FredNordblo

            That’s all nice and good Kodlu but it is still an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation. Turkey has not complied with its obligations per the numerous UN resolutions and violates the Geneva Convention by settling Anatolian Turks on the island to change the demographics. You cannot argue that this so-called “peace operation” is occupation and colonialism at its finest. Tell Erdogan to stop lecturing France on Algeria. He should look at what’s going on in Cyprus. Hypocrite.

      • Solinariforever

        gialiskari: You have to acknowledge the world’s negative reaction (fact) to Turkey’s unreasonable demands on keeping Cyprus hostage. Think, why there has been no world condemnation against the Greek side negative vote on the Anan plan.Why is the world quietly not taking the Turkish side – to have a free election there must be NO OCCUPYING POWER. You must think the Greeks for fools to vote yes to the plan leaving 60000 Turkish military on the island! Turkey should abandon the Ottoman doctrine, free Cyprus and join the European community – Can you imagine a peaceful Turkey amongst peace-loving nations? that would be something indeed. You are talking about indepedent Cyprus, yet you ignore who achived this! EOKA thats WHO! Turks and Greeks would still be subserbien to the damn British.

    • Phoevos

      No. Actually it’s subtler than this.

      The Kastellorizo(aka Megisti) complex by itself has an EEZ(AOZ) of 23,000 km2. To imagine who big this is, it’s about 1/6th of the entire continental Greece’s land surface of 132,000 km2.

      It’s because of the Megisti/Kastellorizo EEZ (AOZ) that the EEZs of Cyprus and Greece are connected.

      So, the Turkish game is not to provoke a military confrontation about these islands but simply to deny their EEZ sphere of influence because under such scenario the Egyptian and Turkish EEZs unite at the expense of Greece.

      It’s a purely psychological game of pressure designed to confuse and obscure the real issue.

      You can see it here for yourself by clicking on the map:

      http://www.seaaroundus.org/eez/300.aspx

      • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

        ***http://www.seaaroundus.org/eez/300.aspx***

        LOLOLOOLL. WTF?

        Please Phoevos, tell me where is the Turkey`s EEZ in this map? According to the map here, i think our EEZ only consists of my bathtub in İzmir, am i right? lmao?

        So, this means that Turkey with more than 7500 km. of maritime borders absolutely have no EEZ but Greece with half of our maritime borders, have an EEZ nearly covering whole mediterranean sea !!!

        Sometimes i cannot comprehend whether you are joking or serious. Actually, most of the time, thats the case.

        • Phoevos

          Onur: No joking whatsoever. Here is the Turkish EEZ:

          http://www.seaaroundus.org/eez/794.aspx and,

          http://www.seaaroundus.org/eez/793.aspx

          If you don’t understand the power of remote islands in the formation of EEZs, frankly that’s not my problem.

          Greece’s task is not to teach ingoramuses. If you think you have a case then take it up with the rest of the world. Case closed.

          • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

            If you think that the small rocks [supposedly owned by Greece from 1000 miles away for some weird reason] on the aegean and mediterranean would supposedly give you the whole sea as your EEZ, then i say that you are simply dreaming.

            Go ahead, announce this map as your EEZ then i think that another “Casus Belli” is coming from the Turkish parliament. AND, i will suggest same thing to you about that;
            “If you think you have a case then take it up with the rest of the world. Case closed”

          • Phoevos

            Onur: When was the last time you saw the EEZ of France? which is the 2nd largest EEZ in the world? France has EEZ from little islands thousands of miles away from France which is a multiple of continental France’s EEZ. The remote rocks as you call them are the name of the game. If you don’t have them just start looking towards lake Van and Central Asia to pick up arguments with your neighbors. What casus belli are you talkng about? You think Turkey can declare casus belli for EU territories and for issues which all other European countries have all signed up for? When was the last time you read European law?

          • AHamilton

            There is no reasoning with Onur who makes up statistics and speaks from his rear end without facts. Please don’t give him the satisfaction of a response. He is a troll.

          • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

            Yes we did declare casus belli for your idiotic 12 miles claim because of these small rocks again;

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casus_belli#Greece_and_Turkey

            We can declare it again if anyone in Greek government dares to show that map and claim it as supposed Greek EEZ.

            AND yes, Turkey does whatever it takes to protect it`s sovereignty regardless if it`s against Greece or the bankrupt EUSSR. Greece being an EUSSR member or not, that makes zero difference to our policies if it`s about our sovereignty. You should have understood that by now but you insists not to. You always think like being EUSSR member supposedly “means” something. They cant even save you from bankruptcy at all.

          • Phoevos

            Onur, don’t be stupid. You can do nothing. Absolutely nothing. It’s a done deal.

          • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

            Phoevos, since the day Turkey declared the casus belli, not even one Greek ship dared to get pass 6 miles plus international waters on the Aegean. It will be same again if Greece dares to declare that map as your mythical EEZ.

            According to your map, you are able to send your gas extraction ships right in our shores, front of my house where i can see Judeo-American oil ships from my window!!! Then go ahead if it`s “done deal”, i can sabotage that ships by throwing stones if necessary. You can be sure that 80 million people here would do the same.

            But i am just laughing at you and your wretchedness because you guys are really think like this is a “done deal”. Keep living in fantasies dude because the realities is not good for you; a bankrupt state and union, poor people, sad sad sad…

          • Phoevos

            Onur: There is nothing worth exploring outside your house. Relax.

          • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

            I was recommending the same to you; There is nothing worth something to you, outside your fantasies. So relax and keep daydreaming.

          • Phoevos

            Onur. o.k. But it’s a done deal.

          • Sikoseto

            LOL Onur you just got slammed you dumb bastard

          • Solinariforever

            Onur: The rest of the world has spoken! the above maps are true. If Turkey gets its nerve and actually negociates in good faith there is probably room to get some kind of arrangement with Greece for a better outlook on the Turkish EEZ alond the Aegean and the eastern Med. However, Turkey’s forcing everything to political solution will not be fruitful for them. Good luck on putting Turkey on the muslim calendar! 500 years backwards.

        • V Lottari

          Greece actually has 13,676 km of coastline – including the islands. You cannot discount the islands in this discussion – Greece is made up of it’s islands. By comparison Turkey has 7,200 km, according to the CIA World Factbook.

          • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

            That still doesn’t explain why we have no EEZ in Aegean and Mediterranean sea with 7200km maritime borders according to Greek fantasy map above.

          • Phoevos

            Onur. EEZ has nothing to do with coastline. If it did, then Russia which is the largest nation on earth and with a huge coastline, it would have the largest EEZ. As we said before the #1 EEZ is the US (and not because of its coastline) and #2 is France (definetely not for its coastline).

            Just to put you at ease. This is no longer a matter that is subject to discussion between Greece and Turkey. It falls under the procedures, norms, regulations of the European law and has already been decided.

            1. There is nothing we can do to change European law and 2. Even if we did, it would not be for the charms of Turkey. So, foget about it. Deal is sealed and delivered.

          • http://twitter.com/Tweets4Onur Onur O.

            Fck the EUSSR laws. I hope (most likely it will) EUSSR gets destroyed soon. I am sure no one will even remember it like USSR, even you guys wont remember it for once you return to drachma.

            We will see how this will end Phoevos. I remind you once again, EUSSR laws means nothing to us. We are not a slave of them unlike you.

          • Phoevos

            Onur: Calm down. In such case you understand why we have to obey the law and not the Sultan of colon cancer.

  • Eric R.

    I think Israel ought to create an organization called “EMTO” (a name inspired by NATO) – the Eastern Mediterranean Treaty Organization, designed to head off the ambitions of an Islamist Turkey. It would include Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Armenia and Georgia.

    • Phoevos

      Eric:

      A bit off topic. But I came across this and I thought you might be interested in tracking:

      http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-1452.html

    • Katharina

      Great idea Eric! But unfortunatly, Bulgaria has been ‘invaded’ by Turkey, like in Central Asia! So, best not to include Bulgaria.

      • kodlu ulusdagi

        Bulgarian parliament just apologised for ethnic pressures on its Turkish minority, so Katharina what’s your opinion on that? There are Turkish minorities everywhere in the Balkans. At least you don’t take the laughable position like Greeks and call them “muslims”, thank you for that.

        • Eric R.

          Kodlu, as you have probably seen on this site, the Israelis and Bulgarians just signed a defence agreement. Bulgaria is scared s**tless of the new Islamonazi emperor Erdogan the (Not So) Magnificent. She fears that her Turkish minority will become a fifth column.

    • kodlu ulusdagi

      Continue dreaming. Israel is more isolated than ever in its history.

      • Eric R.

        Keep listening to Erdogan’s Islamo-nazi propaganda, Kodlu. Israel has more diplomatic relations now than 30 years ago, and trade is booming where it counts – with India, China, Japan and Korea, and not with the dying nations of Western Europe, which are turning Islamic anyway.

        Besides, as I told Emre, thanks to that Nazi Erdogan in power, Turkey has assured itself that if Israel is destroyed, her nukes will wipe out 40 million of your people, and the rest will wish they were dead. There will be craters where Istanbul and Ankara once stood.

  • Sikoseto

    Does anyone else love it when Turks come on this website and get absolutely burnt

    • Nobletool

      @Sikoseto.
      Meanwhile i love to have them here on this board.
      Their presents is a great sign how much it hurts them that
      Greeks resist to obey and believe the bla bla of the mainstream
      news.
      They captured Constantinople, Smyrna, North Cyprus.
      Now it´s time to Turkey to claim and to take control of our
      soil resources.Also to strengthen their people in Thrace.
      With the target to create a separation.
      I predict a conflict in Thrace in the next 10 or 15 years.
      A Greek Kosovo.In their minds we are infidels, slaves, tributaries.
      Greece doesn´t exists, it´s their territory.
      For what reason all the concentrated forces along the northern border?
      A country of 75 millions has to fear a small country like Greece?

      In that moment Greece acts to protect it´s sovereignty by force in a case
      of a organized roit or something like that, they invade Thrace like North Cyprus to “protect” their people.
      Why their engagement in Albania and FYROM?
      The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
      Apparently it´s no accident that the US is taking so much
      care of the Turkish minority in Thrace.Think about it.
      We ar good advised to strenghten our relationship with
      Russia.Their statement about the status of Kosovo is clear and constant,
      let me say secure.No such a hocus-pocus without substance you can hear
      from the UN for example.
      I love the USA, but their foreign politics are another story.

  • Nobletool

    I don´t understand Greeks discussing Greek issues with Turks.
    What do you think you win?
    To change his opinion?
    Do understand hm?
    To win him as friend?