Sv: krock
This is the report from the greek national television ERT :
Citat:
Collision over the Aegean Sea
Sources: NET, NET 105.8, ANA
On Tuesday, On Tuesday, a Greek and a Turkish fighter jet collided 15 miles southeast of the Aegean island of Karpathos ten minutes before 1pm.
The causes of the crash are being investigated by the Greek Defence Ministry, while crews of the Navy and Air Force are carrying out a rescue operation.
Halil Ibrahim Ozdemir, the Turkish pilot, was rescued by a Panama-registered cargo ship. The Greek pilot is still missing. In Paris, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis was immediately informed on the incident by Defence Minister Vangelis Meimarakis, who keeps briefing the PM on all the latest developments, while his schedule has been modified.
The Timeline of the Collision
As per initial information, the Turkish aircraft had violated the Athens FIR and the collision occurred during an interception by the Greek fighter jet, as the two crafts were very near to each other.
Rescue crews rushed to the site for the location of the two pilots, on whom information reported that they used their automatic ejection mechanisms.
The Turkish General Army Staff confirmed the incident in an announcement broadcast by Turkish Mass Media, giving the time of the collision as 12:48 and the place as 35 nautical miles south of Rhodes.
In addition, it spoke of an "obstruction of Turkish aircrafts conducting a training flight in the international air space of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean" by Greek aircrafts.
The announcement also reported the rescue of the Turkish pilot, 100 miles off the Turkish coast.
The Greek Defence Ministry also confirmed the time of the collision and the rescue of the Turkish pilot, but not the area of the incident.
As per the Ministry, the incident occurred ten minutes before 1pm, 15 miles south-southeast of the island of Karpathos, while the Turkish pilot was recovered by Panama-registered cargo ship "Gaz Century" of Yananaru Company, of Japanese interests.
As per information, the Turkish pilot refused to board on the Greek Super-Puma, which rushed to transport him to a Greek hospital. Following, he was picked up by a Turkish helicopter that arrived at the site.
At the time, investigations by Greek rescue crews for locating the missing Greek pilot are continuing.
It is noted that the Turkish aircraft had not submitted flight plans, which is a violation of the Athens FIR.
Discussion with A. Gul
In Helsinki, the briefing of Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Dora Bakoyannis was immediate. She was holding discussions with her Finnish counterpart Erki Tuomioja, who voiced the hope that the tension between Greece and Turkey will not escalate.
Following a contact with the Prime Minister, Mrs Bakoyannis is hurriedly returning to Athens.
Shortly before her departure, the Greek Foreign Affairs Minister held a telephone conversation with her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.
The two Foreign Ministers expressed their regret for the incident and agreed that this should not affect the two countries’ efforts to improve their relations.
Shortly after, Mr Gul gave more statements on the issue, adopting the view of the Turkish General Army Staff that "the incident occurred in international air pace," noting that "Greece and Turkey are trying to increase the measures of building trust and obstructing such situations."
As per Turkish Mass Media, Chief of Turkish Armed Forces Hilmi Özkök and his Greek counterpart Panagiotis Chinofotis held a telephone conversation, relating to the collision of the two military aircrafts.
Alternate Government spokesperson Evangelos Antonaros referred to the incident, and, as he explained, is holding clear reservations for the accuracy of the information (as the incident had occurred a few minutes earlier), while announcing the collision of the two aircrafts.
"This is an extremely unfortunate incident," said the Government spokesperson and referred reporters to the Ministry of National Defence.
Calmness Advised by Political Leaders
President of PASOK George Papandreou advised calmness and responsibility, so that a further escalation of the crisis is avoided, whilst voicing the need of the Government to immediately take up initiative towards that direction, before it is too late.
Referring to the situation, Mr Papandreou stressed that the country’s sovereign rights are well-known and nonnegotiable, and called on Turkey to respect the context of good neighbourliness, as well as EU conditions as a candidate Member-State.
Moreover, the President of PASOK defended the policies exercised by his party’s government in the previous years and accused the Government of not utilising the historic opportunities given to it for resolving differences, which resulted in small or bigger incidents, as well as the increase of tension.
Mr Papandreou was briefed on the incident by Defence Minister Vangelis Meimarakis, while he voiced the hope that the Greek pilot is found unharmed.
President of SYN Alekos Alavanos spoke about a preannounced collision, while attributing the problems created to the internal crisis of Turkey, in an effort to extricate it.
However, he stated that any escalation of the crisis should be avoided, while he ruled out the event of a heated dispute.
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Senast redigerad av Kratylos den 2006-05-23 klockan 17:01.
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2006-05-23, 14:27
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