10 November 2004

PRESS STATEMENT BY H.E. ABDULLAH GÜL, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY

Turkey aims to improve its relations with Greece in every field, and sincerely wishes to settle all Aegean disputes through peaceful means and without causing any tension. At this sensitive period which we are passing through, we also expect our Greek friends to reciprocate our desire in the same manner and to take necessary measures in order to prevent the occurrence of any unfortunate incident.

However, yesterday (9 November), two F-16 type Turkish military aircraft, conducting reconnaissance mission within the framework of „Doğu Akdeniz-04“ Exercise, under the supervision of NATO, were harassed twice in the international airspace of the Aegean at the north of the Island of Lemnos. First harassment took place at 11:04 a.m. by two F-4 type Greek military aircraft departing from Lemnos Island, that approached to the Turkish aircraft at the rear as close as 500 feet. The second harassment was at 11:12 a.m. as two F-16 type Greek military aircraft that took off from N. Ankhialos very dangerously approached to the same Turkish aircraft from the tail.

The Turkish aircraft duly informed the NATO AWACS early warning aircraft of the above-mentioned harassments and declared suspension of their mission under those circumstances. The NATO AWACS aircraft urgently called the Greek aircraft, reminding that the Turkish aircraft were on a NATO mission and ordered the Greek aircraft to leave the exercise area immediately. The Turkish aircraft recommenced their mission after the Greek aircraft left the area. Besides, the Island of Lemnos that the two Greek F-4 aircraft took off is under demilitarized status.

Ambassador Baki İlkin, Deputy Undersecretary, and Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan, Director General, are now in Athens to have contacts with their counterparts within the framework of ongoing Confidence Building Measures process between the two countries at the level of political directors of the two Foreign Ministries. I have instructed them to convey to the Greek authorities our ideas to reach an understanding.

With these thoughts in mind, I also touched upon possible means for such an understanding during the phone conversation that I had with my Greek counterpart yesterday.