Greek Jets Intercept Turkish Aircraft in Fresh Aegean Violations Amid Concern Over Ankara's Amphibious Buildup

Greek fighter jets have intercepted three Turkish aircraft after they carried out seven airspace violations and five infringements of the Athens Flight Information Region over the Aegean, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff has said, the second consecutive day of incursions following armed F-16 and drone activity reported Tuesday.

The aircraft involved Wednesday — two drones and an ATR-72 surveillance plane — operated across the northeastern, central and southeastern Aegean.

Greek interceptions followed standard international procedures in all instances, the defense staff said.

The incursions come as Greek defense planners track a separate and, in Athens's assessment, more strategically significant development: Turkey's expanding amphibious warfare capability. Particular attention has focused on Ankara's YLCT landing craft program, which envisions eight new-generation vessels designed to rapidly deploy armored units — including Turkey's domestically built Altay main battle tanks — and large troop numbers directly onto contested shorelines.

Two vessels have already entered service, with the remaining six expected by 2027.

Greek officials view the program as a core component of Turkey's broader military modernization and its "Blue Homeland" doctrine, which asserts expansive maritime claims across the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean that Athens and the European Parliament have both characterized as expansionist.

The combination of near-daily airspace violations and a maturing amphibious fleet has sharpened Greek concerns about Turkey's long-term posture in the Aegean, even as both governments maintain periodic diplomatic contact aimed at managing tensions.

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