Turkey responds to Greece's claims on flight clearance

By Fatih Hafız Mehmet

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday responded to the Greek defense minister's claims of Turkey requesting a flight clearance from Greece.

Panos Kammenos had claimed that Turkish Armed Forces requested flight clearance from Greek authorities "for the first time" for Turkish fighter jets to enter the Greek air space.

In a written statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hami Aksoy said it is "well-known" that every state has to request clearance for the civil and military flights to use the airspace of another state.

"It goes without saying, Turkey recognizes six nautical miles of national airspace of Greece and thus requests clearance in accordance with international customs and rules for ferry/transport flights to and over Greece. This is not a new practice," he added.