TURKEY / GREECE — Turkish and Greek fighter jets engaged in 16 mock dogfights after Greece's airspace was violated by Turkish jets on December 17 over territorial claims in the Aegean Sea, according to Stars and Stripes.
Greek air force pilots rushed to intercept the Turkish jets as they entered the country's airspace a total of 40 times on Tuesday, Stars and Stripes reports.
The two nations are at odds over issues including the delimitation of territorial waters, airspace, exclusion zones and Turkey's claims over small islands in the Aegean Sea.
Turkey said it could send in military forces into the eastern Mediterranean and add armed drones to northern Cyprus over the two countries' territorial disputes, Stars and Stripes reports, citing Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos had previously said that the disputed area is controlled by the Greek military.
According to Greek City Times, the country plans to purchase drones from the U.S. and Israel. The technology could be used to surveil Turkey's military moves in the Mediterranean.
The move comes amid growing tensions between Greece and Turkey as the U.S. has increased its military ties with Greece while the U.S. could move ahead to sanction Turkey over its military invasion in northern Syria.
