Greece intercepts Turkish fighters

Greece is making a formal protest to the Turkish government after a large-scale aerial confrontation between military aircraft from the two countries which it says led to mock dog-fights over the Aegean Sea.

A Greek spokesman said the air force had been forced to send up more than twenty fighter planes when about thirty Turkish jets made a series of incursions into Greek air space along the entire length of the eastern Aegean.

The Turks have rejected the charge, saying it stemmed from Greece's exaggerated view of its airspace.

The BBC defence correspondent says the incident is part of a pattern in the oil-rich Aegean, where the two countries differ over the extent of territorial waters and air space.

Greek forces have been on alert since Turkey began military exercises in the Aegean six days ago.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service