Turkey May Claim Compensation From Greece Over Fighters' Crash

[Otto]

Turkey May Claim Compensation From Greece Over Fighters' Crash
Published: 6/14/2006


ANKARA - Turkey said Wednesday it would seek compensation from neighboring Greece over a mid-air collision of fighter jets from the two countries if a detailed probe into the incident finds that the Greek pilot was responsible.

Foreign ministry spokesman Namik Tan told a news conference that a Turkish military investigation into the May 23 crash was still continuing and that the findings so far were "favorable."

Asked whether Ankara would claim compensation from Athens if the official report fully exonerates the Turkish pilot, Tan said: "Absolutely."

The collision, in which the Greek pilot was killed, occurred as a result of a mock dogfight -- a frequent ocurrence between Turkish and Greek warplanes in the disputed airspace of the two NATO allies.

At the core of the dispute is Greece`s claim of airspace extending 10 miles around its coastline; Turkey recognizes only six miles, arguing that under international law, Greece`s airspace cannot go beyond the extent of its territorial waters.

According to the Turkish account of the incident, two Turkish F-16s and an F-4 were on "a routine training flight" in international airspace when they were confronted and "harrassed" by two Greek F-16s.

A fast-approaching Greek F-16 then slammed into a Turkish F-16 from behind and below.

Greek officials said the Turkish jet "rammed into the Greek aircraft from above after a wrong maneuver by the Turkish pilot," who managed to bail out.

Athens charged that the Turkish planes entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR), the flight zone overseen by Greek aviation authorities, without laying down flight plans.

Turkey says FIR rules apply only to civil aviation and that military flight plans are handed over to NATO, from where they are available to Greece.

Following the crash, the two countries vowed not to let the incident damage a notable improvement in bilateral ties over the past several years.

On Saturday, they announced a series of "confidence-building measures," including the introduction of crisis management hotlines between their armies to fend off similar incidents in the future.

06/14/2006 12:24 GMT

this is rediculous... we should have dealt with it appropriately... they are blaming Greeks now?!

[Macedonian]

Typical nonsense. This ridiculous behavioural is so unbecoming of people or nations.