Armed Turkish F-16s in Dogfight West of Kastelorizo

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Armed Turkish F-16s in Fierce Dogfight West of Kastelorizo

Greek pilots scrambled on Monday as Turkish fighters again tested the Athens FIR, with a pair of fully armed F-16s drawn into a dogfight between Rhodes and Kastelorizo before being forced back.

According to the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, seven Turkish aircraft entered the Athens FIR without authorisation on 5 October 2026. The sharpest incident involved two Turkish F-16s flying in formation and fully armed. They committed two violations of national airspace and one breach of air traffic rules.

Greek fighters on readiness took off at once. The Turkish pilots did not leave, and the interception turned into a close engagement west of Kastelorizo. Greek crews boxed in the formation and pushed it back into the Istanbul FIR.

Ankara also sent four unmanned aircraft, which accounted for seven violations and four interceptions, and an ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft, which committed two violations. In all, the Turkish activity was identified and intercepted by the Hellenic Air Force under international rules.

The episode is the latest in a run of Aegean interceptions, with Athens again treating armed overflights near Kastelorizo as a direct test of deterrence.

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