Turkey escalated its provocations in the Aegean on Friday, sending F-16 jets on formation flights directly over the Gree...

Turkey escalated its provocations in the Aegean on Friday, sending F-16 jets on formation flights directly over the Greek islands of Rho and Zourapha, crossing into Greek sovereign airspace. A total of 10 Turkish aircraft were involved, including two pairs of F-16s, two of which were armed, plus six additional solo aircraft. The operation produced 7 violations of Greek airspace and 13 violations of the Athens FIR flight information region, according to Skai.gr. One F-16 pair flew in formation over the island of Rho, while a drone conducted an overflight of Zourapha. The Turkish aircraft operated across the northeastern, central, and southeastern Aegean. Greek fighter jets scrambled and intercepted all aircraft in accordance with standing rules of engagement. Overflights, where foreign aircraft physically cross into airspace above Greek territory rather than simply violating adjacent flight zones, represent a more aggressive provocation than standard airspace violations. Friday's incident marks a clear step up from the daily violations Turkey has been conducting in the Athens FIR. Rho is a small Greek island near the Turkish coast that carries significant symbolic weight, known historically as the location where a Greek woman named Despina Achladioti raised the Greek flag daily for decades to assert sovereignty. A drone overflight of Zourapha compounds the pattern of deliberate escalation Turkey has been running in the region. Greek authorities confirmed interceptions were carried out but have not yet issued a formal diplomatic statement at the time of reporting. #Greece #Turkey #Aegean