ATHENS – Without mentioning that Turkey bought Russian S-400 missile systems that undermine the security of NATO, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the defense alliance shouldn’t side with Greece’s claims about violations of its airspace and had used similar defenses to lock on to Turkish F-16’s.

Akar repeated Turkey’s assertions that Greece S-300 missile systems, also Russian-made but bought in the 1990’s and moved to Crete from Cyprus, had put tone on the Turkish jets during a NATO mission accompanying American B-52 bombers, which Greece denied.

“NATO and third countries must keep an eye on what Greece is doing. Its actions and rhetoric towards Turkey do not abide by the rules of friendship and alliance,” Akar said during a military ceremony, reported Kathimerini.

in the central Eskisehir province..

“(Greece) violates international law and good neighborly relations,” Akar said, adding that he will continue to respond to the “impertinence” but didn’t say that Turkey doesn’t recognize international laws of the sea or the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne that set boundaries between the countries.

Turkey said it sent proof to NATO about the lock on its jets but that wasn’t reportedly confirmed nor was it said what the evidence was as it escalated the tension between the countries.

Akar, in a show, was taken up over the northern Aegean in an F-16 fighter to give him a sense of what it’s like, the Turkish pilots frequent airspace violations bringing Greek fighter responses and occasional mock dogfights.

During the flight, Akar paid tribute to the Canakkale Martyrs’ Memorial, a war memorial commemorating the service of about 253,000 Turkish soldiers who took part in the Battle of Gallipoli in WWI.

“We will try to live up to (the legacy) of our martyrs, especially of the martyrs who lie in Canakkale, and we will continue our fight in the spirit of Canakkale,” Akar said in a radio message, the paper reported.