Akar takes F-16 flight over northern Aegean

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar flew in an F-16 fighter jet over the northern Aegean on Friday.

During the flight, Akar paid tribute to the Canakkale Martyrs’ Memorial, a war memorial commemorating the service of about 253,000 Turkish soldiers who took part in the Battle of Gallipoli.

“We will try to live up to [the legacy] of our martyrs, especially of the martyrs who lie in Canakkale, and we will continue our fight in the spirit of Canakkale,” Akar said in a radio message.

‘Impertinence’

Earlier Friday, Akar revisited Turkish claims that Greek S-300 surface-to-air missiles stationed on Crete locked on to Turkish warplanes on August 23, while carrying out a reconnaissance mission in international airspace. He warned that Ankara will continue to respond to Athens’ “impertinence.”

“We have always responded to this impertinence of Greece and we will continue to do so,” he said during a military ceremony in the Eskisehir province.

Slamming Greece’s behavior as “extremely hostile and wrong,” the Turkish minister called upon NATO to take an “objective” stance on the rivalry between the two Aegean neighbors.

“NATO and third countries should also see Greece’s actions. We have warned all of our allies over Greece. We expect them to be objective. They should know that Greece’s actions and rhetoric are not in line with friendship or alliance,” he said.

Greece has repeatedly denied the accusation that its S-300 systems on Crete locked on to the Turkish jets.