New Turkish Provocation Violates Greek Airspace

by · Greek City Times

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Greece and Turkey face renewed tensions in the Aegean after Ankara issued a unilateral NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) covering areas and air routes for activities it described as including search and rescue and environmental protection missions.

The Turkish NOTAM covers five extensive areas and six air routes from September 25 to October 27, 2026, stretching from the northern Aegean towards the Dodecanese. One of the areas extends relatively close to Evia, according to Greek reports.

Athens responded by issuing a counter-NOTAM, making clear that Greece does not recognise the availability of the areas for the military activities described in the Turkish notice.

The areas and air routes concern parts of the Aegean around Limnos, Lesvos, Chios, Ikaria, the eastern Cyclades and the Dodecanese, including areas west of Kalymnos and Leros, according to the Greek report.

The latest dispute reflects the longstanding disagreement between Greece and Turkey over airspace, maritime jurisdiction and search-and-rescue responsibilities in the Aegean. Turkey maintains that the search-and-rescue regions claimed by the two countries overlap and that the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on their delimitation.

Turkey cites environmental protection

The terminology in the Turkish notice has drawn particular attention in Greece, with Ankara citing environmental protection alongside search and rescue among the purposes of the planned activities.

The move comes amid broader disagreements over maritime environmental initiatives in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.

Greek-Turkish tensions have also increased amid ongoing Turkish military activity in the Aegean. Turkish aircraft and drones have continued to generate Greek airspace and Athens FIR violations, with Greek authorities reporting further incidents on September 22.

The latest NOTAM dispute also comes as Turkey conducts the large-scale Sea Wolf naval exercise, while the two countries remain at odds over Turkish plans for research related to the proposed Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnection.

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