Armed Turkish F-16s Enter Greek Airspace for First Time in 30 Months

In a provocative move, armed Turkish F-16 fighter jets entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) on September 1, 2025, marking their first such incursion in 30 months.

The unauthorized entry occurred in the southeastern Aegean near Rhodes and Kastellorizo, where the jets flew for 3–4 minutes before being intercepted by Greek Air Force fighters scrambled from their base.

According to the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), the Turkish F-16s, armed with air-to-air missiles, violated air traffic regulations by entering the Athens FIR without a flight plan but did not breach Greek national airspace. Additionally, a Turkish ATR-72 aircraft and a military helicopter also entered the FIR without permission on the same day. No scheduled Turkish military exercises were reported in the area.

The last recorded entry of armed Turkish jets into Greek airspace was in February 2023. Since then, Turkish Air Force activity in the Aegean had significantly decreased, limited to occasional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and helicopter movements.

Greek defense officials expressed surprise at the incident, particularly given Athens’ ongoing plans to resume work on the Greece-Cyprus underwater electrical cable. Some speculate this could be a signal from Turkey to halt these efforts.

The incursion coincides with provocative statements from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who accused Greece of fostering anti-Turkish sentiment for political gain. In a pointed remark, Fidan warned that Greece’s actions could lead to “serious strategic consequences” for its people and state. These comments come just weeks before the UN General Assembly in New York, where Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan may meet, though no confirmation of such talks has been announced.

The timing also aligns with an upcoming bid by Chevron for exploratory hydrocarbon drilling south of Crete, an area of interest to both Turkey and Libya’s rival governments.

Greek authorities are closely monitoring the situation as tensions in the region persist.

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