CNN Turk broadcaster reported on Sunday, citing sources in the Turkish defense ministry, that Greece had deployed an S-300 air defense system to track the F-16 fighters of the Turkish air forces performing a reconnaissance mission 10,000 feet west of Rhodes Island on August 23.
Turkish media reported that "despite these hostile actions, the planes fulfilled their planned tasks and safely returned to their bases." Sources in the Greek Defense Ministry categorically denied Turkey's claims that Athens deployed its S-300 system in Crete against Turkey's F-16s, describing the statements as "myths" aimed at creating a hostile attitude towards Greece.
"Turkey has tried to make an impression throughout the preceding period with the escalation of rhetoric and fabrications that are completely contrary to truth and reality. The Turkish side likewise has lately cited false facts to link them to the reasons and grounds for which the United States deprived it of the opportunity to receive weapons. Its [Turkey’s] desire to create this through propaganda based on completely non-existent incidents is so obvious that it catches the eye. It is bad for Turkey and good for our country that all our allies and all NATO members are fully aware of what the reality is," Oikonomou told a briefing.
He stressed that Greece has always respected its obligations within NATO and has always complied with international treaties and laws, remaining a factor of stability and peace in both the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
The relations between Athens and Ankara have been complicated for decades. The countries were on the verge of an armed conflict three times in the summer of 2020. Greece had to mobilize its armed forces after Turkey launched a seismic survey in the Eastern Mediterranean, the area that Athens considers its exclusive economic zone.