Turkey Refuses to Participate in NATO Drills Over Disagreements With Greece, Reports Say

ANKARA (Sputnik) - The Turkish air force refused to take part in NATO's Tiger Meet exercises in Greece due to disagreements with Athens, the Sabah newspaper reported on Saturday.

Turkey said it refused to participate in the drills as Greece had allegedly manipulated them to suit its political interests, according to the report. The decision on the non-participation of the Turkish air force in the exercises was sent to the Greek authorities, the newspaper said.

This step comes after Greece accused Turkey of violating its space over the Aegean Sea with armed fighter jets - to which Ankara responded by blaming the other side for staging "provocations" in the regions.

A Greek F-16 fighter jet lands at the Andravida air base, about 279 kilometres (174 miles) southwest of Athens, Friday, April 1, 2022.

© AP Photo / Thanassis Stavrakis

Ankara and Athens have been at odds over the past decades on several major issues, including territorial disputes in the eastern Mediterranean. Another major spat is the Greek-Turkish divide in Cyprus, as Turkey invaded the northern part of the island back in 1974, proclaiming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Ankara.