Turkey has allegedly withdrawn some of its forces from NATO’s Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise amid a fresh dispute with Greece over airspace and search-and-rescue jurisdiction in the Aegean.
The move follows a disagreement over the planning document for the exercise, with Ankara seeking to shape the wording to align with its territorial claims, a demand rejected by Athens, reports Greek newspaper Ekathimerini.
Greece is understood to have refused to accept what it sees as exclusive Turkish claims over the Aegean, warning that it would cancel its participation if the terms were altered. The Turkish Defence Ministry reportedly responded by declaring that aspects of the exercise’s design contradict Turkey’s national rights and international law.
The dispute centres on the terminology surrounding NATO airspace, with Turkey pushing for a broad reference to ”NATO Airspace,” while Greece insisted on the inclusion of ”Nation’s Airspace.”Läs artikel