The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos accompanied by the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Christos Christodoulou visited the 135th Combat Group, Skyros Island.
The Minister of National Defence stated the following:
“We are on Skyros, on high readiness, where the heart of the Air Force beats. The Chief of the Hellenic Air Force and I came here to thank, on behalf of the Greek people, the officers, NCOs and airmen who give a battle to defend Greece’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity every day.
Over the last period, Turkey’s provocativeness has increased. Every day, six to eight aircraft of Turkey’s Air Force challenge us; they violate the national air space and conduct overflights. Our reaction is immediate. No aircraft can enter the Greek airspace without being intercepted. The last aircraft to land will be the Greek one, thanks to the courage and professionalism of the personnel of our Air Force.
We are very indebted to them because in peacetime they work and operate under conditions of war. We are grateful to the Air Force, to its entire personnel.
We want to send a message from Skyros: Greece is a peaceful country. It seeks for peace, yet it will respond to every challenge against our national sovereignty. We are strong and ready to protect our national airspace and the Greek EEZ at any time”.
