Over thirty years ago the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey, Karolos Papoulias and Mesut Yilamz signed an agreement in Vouliagment which set a number of rules concerning the relations between the two countries.

The agreement included a provision that both sides would refrain from military activity over the Aegean on each other’s holy days.

Ankara has for many years trampled over this provision on all levels: Provoking on religious holidays, programming military exercises during the tourist season, and isolating Greek islands by tying up an expansive area for manoeuvres.

This year on Christmas Eve Ankara’s the violations have reached a fevered pitch.

According to information released by the Greek General Staff at 18:06 two Turkish F-16s flew over the islands of Oinouses and Panagia at an altitude of 31,00 ft.

Earlier at 15:34 a pair of F-16s.flew over the island of Ro at 30,000ft, preceded by a flight over Ro at 14:16 at only 15,009 feet followed by three flights over the Greek islands of Ro, Megisti, and Sroggili ay 14,500 feet.

101 airspace violations in one day.

In total there were 101 overflights over Greek islands with the clear purpose of symbolically challenging Greek sovereignty over the islands.

Ankara had targeted Oinouses and Panagia earlier in the week as well when it conducted 12 overflights in 24 minutes over these two islands.

Turkey had proceeded with similar holiday violations last year.

This year however Ankara was clearly interested in breaking its past record.

Headlines