A Greek and a Turkish fighter aircraft collided in mid-air while shadowing each other above the southern Aegean island of Karpathos on Tuesday, the Greek Defense Ministry said.

The exact circumstances of the collision, in an area where aircraft of the two NATO allies have long jockeyed with each other in disputed airspace, were not immediately clear.

The Turkish Defense Ministry in Ankara was not immediately available for comment but Turkish television said the Turkish pilot was rescued after the collision.


Greece says it daily scrambles fighters to intercept Turkish aircraft it says invade the airspace of its islands close to Turkey. Turkey denies the flights are a violation of Greek territory, saying it only flies in international airspace.

These maneuvers, often called "mock dogfights", can often involve very close approaches from both sides and draw formal protests from Ankara and Athens.

"The planes collided during interception maneuvers above Karpathos," a Greek Defense Ministry official said, but gave no details.

Defense Ministry officials said the Greek plane was an F-16 fighter jet but could not determine the type of the Turkish plane. There were no scheduled military exercises in the area.

"Several Super Puma rescue helicopters are on their way to the area," a Greek government official told Reuters.
A frigate was also ordered to sail toward Karpathos to take part in the search and rescue operation.

DISPUTES OVER AIRSPACE, AEGEAN

Tensions between Greece and Turkey have frequently focused on disputes over airspace and territorial sovereignty in the Aegean area.

Greece claims a 10-mile exclusion zone around its coast, but Turkey recognizes only a six-mile zone. Turkey says it has the right to train in international air space.


The two countries came close to war as recently as 1996 over a rocky outcrop.

In recent years ties have improved between the two countries and Greece has supported its longtime foe's drive for membership of the European Union. Communication between the Greek and Turkish military in emergencies has also been improved.

But disputes over the Aegean and the divided island of Cyprus remain a major irritant in relations and a test of the limits of rapprochement.

In January 1996, Greece and Turkey were involved in a tense stand-off over ownership of the outcrop of Kardak, which the Greeks call Imia. The two countries stepped back from war after the United States, fearing conflict within the NATO alliance, mediated a settlement.


ATHENS (Reuters)

What a crazy, crazy, situation! And a lot of the problems are to do with the disputed territory of Cyprus. :cry: