The Turkish air force has withdrawn from an international military exercise to be held in Greece in May, Turkish security sources said on Saturday, alleging preparatory documents targeted Ankara.
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The military exerciseTiger Meet», organized every year by an association bringing together different NATO air forces, is scheduled for Athens this year, from 9 to 20 May.
According to Turkish security sources, the text of technical regulations that the host countries draft before the exercise, targets Turkey this year, with additions concerning “disagreements between the two countries“. Those sources did not give further details.
The additions,intentionalfor Turkish authorities, prompted the air force command to request changes, which Greece refused, the sources said.
Turkey has therefore decided not to participate in an event that “Greece manipulates for its political interestsand informed Greek authorities of his decision on April 22, they added.
Greece and Turkey, NATO allies but regional rivals in the eastern Mediterranean, regularly and mutually accuse each other of violations of their airspace.
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Last Friday, Ankara claimed that Greek fighter jets violated its airspace over the Aegean Sea, which Turkish security sources say happened 30 times in 72 hours.