Turkish fighter jets harassed the helicopter carrying Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to the island of Agathonisis for the 25th March celebrations.

The Prime Minister himself made the revelation in his address to the residents of the island, saying in a humorous tonne that the Turkish jets may have wanted to participate in the celebrations for Greece’s Independence Day.
The aggressive aircraft were intercepted by Greek fighter jets as per normal procedures.

“I had the honour of being welcomed here in Agathonisi by some Turkish Air Force fighters. It seems, because of the day they wanted to participate in our national celebration. They forced the helicopter I was boarding to make some low flight manoeuvres until the Greek jets, as always, were intercepted the jets that violated our national airspace.”

Mr Tsipras continued by saying that these non-sensical acts would deter him from reaching even the last island of Greece, “even if I had to swim to get there”.

According to information, while the Prime Minister’s helicopter was approaching Agathonisi, two Turkish fighters entered the Greek airspace between the islands of Chios and Samos and moved 4 miles from the area where the Chinook helicopter was transporting the Greek PM.

It should be noted that this incident is the latest in a series of Turkish provocations against Greece, with statements like President Erdogan’s that the Hagia Sophia will become a mosque, while the Greek government insists on “politics of appeasement” with Foreign Minister George Katrougalos talking about “Turkey’s energy rights in the Eastern Mediterranean”, Yiannis Tsironis stating that “Kastelorizo does not belong to the Aegean”.

Former Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias made no secret about the approach adopted by the Greek government as he said: “Things need caution, politics of friendship, international law and to include the other in the stakes, to appease.”