Turkish spurts carrying out operations over the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean were “wearied” by a Greek S-300 air defence system, Turkish Defence Ministry sources have said.
Turkish spurts were “radar locked” on August 23 on a charge in transnational airspace, said the sources on Sunday, requesting obscurity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, describing the Greek importunity as a “hostile act” according to the NATO rules of engagement.
“Despite this hostile act, the aeroplanes completed their planned operations and returned to their bases safely,” the sources added.
The importunity came from a Russian-made S-300 air defence system posted on the islet of Crete, the sources said.
They underscored that some NATO countries continue to denounce Türkiye for buying Russian-made S-400 systems but say nothing about Greece, which bought the former interpretation of the system nearly 25 times agone.
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Against’ NATO principles
Sources say that a NATO country, videlicet Greece, draining another NATO country’s warplanes through the Russian-made S-300 system is “against the principles of the NATO alliance”
Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 times, has complained of repeated “instigative” conduct and rhetoric by Greece in the region in recent months, saying similar moves frustrate its good faith sweats for peace.
In April 2017, when its prolonged sweats to buy an air defence system from the US proved futile, Türkiye inked a contract with Russia to acquire the state- of-the- art S-400s.
US officers raised opposition to their deployment, claiming the S-400s would be inharmonious with NATO systems.
Türkiye, still, stressed that the S- 400s would not be integrated into NATO systems, and pose no trouble to the alliance or its armaments, and has constantly proposed setting up a commission to clarify the issue.
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Source: TRTWorld and agencies
