Turkey prevented PM Tsipras from landing on Rhodes island
"...Turkey demanded the aircraft carrying Greek Prime Minister and
government’s ministers to Iran not to be landed on the Greek island of
Rhodes arguing that Rhodes is a demilitarized area. They even suggested
prime minister’s aircraft Embraer to be refueled in Ankara so as to give
an overflight permission to Embraer to fly over Turkish airspace.
The Greek government then presented a new flight plan involving
flying over Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the
refueling was made in Egypt..."
Comment
A very, very, very, unfortunate evolution....! m.l.p.
Feb, 15 2016
Author: newsroom
Prime minister’s aircraft flew over Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan and Saudi
Arabia so as to reach Iran, while the refueling was made in Egypt
Turkey demanded the aircraft carrying Greek Prime Minister and
government’s ministers to Iran not to be landed on the Greek island of
Rhodes arguing that Rhodes is a demilitarized area. They even suggested
prime minister’s aircraft Embraer to be refueled in Ankara so as to give
an overflight permission to Embraer to fly over Turkish airspace.
The Greek government then presented a new flight plan involving
flying over Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the
refueling was made in Egypt.
As Turkey said to Greek government, Embraer is a military aircraft
since it has military pilots and crew, so it cannot land on Rhodes,
since they consider it as a demilitarized zone. Therefore, the aircraft
cannot take off from Rhodes to continue its flight through Turkey and
they suggested Greece to submit a new flight plan and refuel the
aircraft in Ankara, Alexandroupolis or any other area.
Greek diplomats, then, suggested to the prime minister to avoid a new
flight plan which would include Turkey, because that would mean Greece
recognizes Rhodes as a demilitarized zone. Therefore, prime minister’s
aircraft flew over Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan and Saudi Arabia so as to reach
Iran, while the refueling was made in Egypt.