Turks want Greek jets at NATO Tiger Meet

So without even getting a reply from the Hellenic Air Force whether it plans to send aircraft or not they already rushed to publish a relevant leak to the press that Greece will participate in the exercise with 335 Squadron “Tiger,” based at Araxos in the annual “NATO Tiger Meet” (NTM), ie the NATO meet/exercise of Allied squadrons that have the mark “tiger,” which this year will be held in Konya.

“From dogfights to cooperation” is the title of the relevant post in Cumhuriyet newspaper, which notes that after the dogfights over the Aegean, the Greek and Turkish squadrons will meet now exercise to be held in Konya, between 4 and 15 May (the date has been moved slightly). This exercise will be an 'important first' between the two countries, the article insists also informing that the Turkish unit will be 192 Squadron based in Belikesir.

The Turkish squadron has an infamous history with the Hellenic Air Force! The F-16 that fell in a dogfight with a Greek Mirage in 1996 off the coast of Chios came from this squadron, as did the F-16 that hit the F-16 piloted by officer Iliakis, killing him, south of Karpathos in 2006.

So far the Turkish side has unilateraly used such meets and exercises to bolster false claims of cooperation , while trying to show a “good side” to foreign attendees. In the past the Greek teams participating in such exercises have left with bitter sentiment over treatment.