Istanbul - (AFP) - Turkey confirmed today, Sunday, that Turkish aircraft that were on a mission in the Aegean Sea and in the eastern Mediterranean were targeted by the S-300 air defense system of Greece, condemning it as a "hostile act."

The Greek air defense system, stationed on the island of Crete, "shut off" the sensors installed on the Turkish "F-16" aircraft, which were conducting a reconnaissance mission last Tuesday at an altitude of 10,000 feet west of the island of Rhodes, according to sources in the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

The sources confirmed that this step is equivalent to a "hostile act" according to the rules of engagement in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

However, the Turkish planes "carried out their mission and returned to their base safely."

However, sources in the Greek Ministry of Defense denied the Turkish accusations.

"The Greek S-300 air defense system never turned off the (sensors) of the Turkish F-16s," the public broadcaster ERT quoted the sources as saying.

Turkey has complained in recent months about actions by Greece, which it described as provocative and harmful to peace efforts.

Between the two neighboring NATO member states, disputes dating back to the past over sea and air borders prompt the Air Force to carry out patrols and interception missions at an almost daily pace, especially in the vicinity of the Greek islands near the Turkish coast.

Atina accuses Ankara of sending its planes to fly over the Greek islands.
For its part, Turkey asserts that Greece is massing soldiers on the islands of the Aegean Sea, in contravention of the peace treaties concluded after the two world wars.