Flagrant violation of Greek FIR and Greek sovereignty by the Turkish NOTAM of 1 March 2015

During the last few hours, Turkey has flagrantly violated the national sovereignty of Greece and international law and created the conditions for clashes between Greece and Turkey. Yesterday, 1 March 2015, Turkey issued a NOTAM which illegally restricts from 2 March 2015 to 31 December 2015 a large area of the Aegean stretching from Skyros to Lemnos, essentially cutting off the northern from the southern Aegean.

According to the illegal Turkish plan, this area of the Aegean will be used to perform exercises and as a shooting range, thereby directly affecting airways g-33 and N-130 and jeopardising aviation to and from Greece and other EU countries.

The demarcation line of the Turkish NOTAM not only passes through international airspace and international waters but also through Greek national airspace and Greek territorial waters, including mainly the territory of Lemnos.

In view of the above, will the Commission say:

What measures will she take: firstly, to ensure the condemnation of the above illegal NOTAM issued by Turkey in respect of Greece, an EU Member State, an action that endangers international peace and European and international air transport and, secondly, to obtain the immediate revocation of the illegal Turkish NOTAM?

Source: European Parliament