According to the German government, the Turkish Air Force pursued a plane over the Aegean Sea in March that was used for the EU-Border protection agency Frontex was in use. As from an answer by the Federal Government to a question from LeftMP Andrej Hunko emerges, which is available to the German Press Agency, two Turkish aircraft followed the reconnaissance aircraft of the Danish Air Force “over several minutes”. At the exact time of the incident, the federal government made no statements.
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The reconnaissance flights over the sea area are part of the Frontex emergency operation “Aegean 2020”, to which the border protection agency is sticking despite the corona pandemic. Elsewhere, on the other hand, emergency services were reduced or withdrawn entirely.
Turkey questions Greek sovereignty in the region. Combat bombers of the Turkish Air Force fly over deafening Greek islands such as Agathonisi, Oinousses or Lipsi almost daily at a height of up to 300 meters.
German support suspended for several Frontex missions
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced that German support for Frontex operations in Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Albania had initially been suspended. The focus of Frontex is currently on Greece, where Germany is currently the largest contingent with 82 federal and state police officers and customs officials.
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Turkey had declared the border with the European Union in late February be open. As a result, thousands set out to get from Turkey to Greece and thus to the EU. Greece did not let them pass. Tear gas was used on both sides of the Evros border river. Frontex requested additional forces.
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“The Turkish-Greek land and sea border is now extremely militarized,” said Hunko. The Greek government has “as a deterrent” thousands of refugees living in camps in the Aegean Islands under the worst conditions. Turkey uses refugees to put pressure on the EU “regarding their occupation in Syria and arms deliveries to Libya”.
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