ATHENS – Turkey’s tactics to get the upper hand in its claims to Greek territories after repeatedly sending fighter jets over Greek islands and waters is to claim that Greece is violating Turkish airspace.

Turkey has a so-called Blue Homeland doctrine claiming ownership of huge swathes of the Aegean and East Mediterranean and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly coveted return of some Greek islands ceded away under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne he doesn’t recognize unless invoking to his country’s advantage.

Greece’s Foreign Ministry said, “These allegations are another attempt by Turkey to misinform and deny responsibility for its illegal and provocative actions,” which go on, ignored by NATO, the defense alliance to which both countries belong.

“It is paradoxical, to say the least, that a country which recently conducted 42 (military) flights over Greek territory in a single day and which threatens Greece with war in violation of fundamental principles of the UN Charter, accuses Greece of [engaging in] provocative activities,” the statement said.

“With its actions, Turkey once again undermines regional security and stability, as well as NATO’s cohesion at a crucial juncture,” said Greece’s response.

Despite the non-stop provocations and the United States and Greece renewing a military cooperation deal and Washington denouncing Turkey’s overflights, President Joe Biden wants to sell Turkey more F-16’s for further violations of Greek territory.