Directorate of Communications denies the claim that “Turkish aircraft harassed planes carrying the Greek Defence Minister and European Ministers”

The statement issued by the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications Center for Combating Disinformation regarding allegations concerning Turkish F-16s operating in the airspace of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)is as follows:

“The claims circulated by certain media outlets and shared on social media alleging that ‘Turkish aircraft harassed planes carrying Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias and European ministers, and that Turkish aircraft violated Greek airspace’ are entirely false.

On 7 June 2026, four out of six aircraft operating on the route between Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA) violated the airspace of the TRNC. Consequently, two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on alert duty stationed in the TRNC were immediately scrambled as a precautionary measure.

The aircraft carried out their mission within TRNC airspace, did not violate the airspace of the GCA, and did not harass the aircraft in question. Furthermore, all flights conducted on 6 June 2026 as part of the 115th Anniversary of the Turkish Air Force Command and the “Youth and Aviation Festival” were carried out within the designated flight zone of the 2nd Main Jet Base Command. At no point was Greek airspace violated.

The public is strongly urged not to give credence to these claims, which have been put forward to manipulate international public opinion and provoke tensions.”