Greek OK to Fire on U.S. Jets Reported

The Greek air force and navy have orders allowing them to fire on U.S. Air Force jets taking part in a NATO exercise if they violate Greek airspace, a Defense Ministry source said Friday.

The warning came a day after Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou’s Socialist government accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of ignoring flight safety and civil aviation rules during military exercises in the Aegean Sea, and two days after Greece said it had placed its forces on alert to prevent the United States and other countries from “repeatedly violating” its airspace.

“We will do all that is necessary to protect our national sovereignty if American or any other air force plane violates Greek airspace--even if this means defending it with live rounds,” said the source, who requested anonymity.

Defense Minister Yannis Haralambopoulos said earlier, “we are obliged to take necessary measures concerning our national sovereignty,” but he did not elaborate.

Greece maintains a squadron of French-made Mirage jets on the Aegean Sea island of Lemnos, in the vicinity of the NATO exercises, press reports said.

Greece, a member of the Atlantic Alliance, has boycotted major NATO exercises since December, 1984, because of a dispute with Turkey over Lemnos. The government softened its stance in April by participating in a low-key NATO Mediterranean exercise involving merchant ships.

Air Violations Charged

The socialist government has accused the United States, Turkey and the Soviet Union of repeated airspace violations.

The spokesman said the Soviet violation occurred because Soviet jets have also been observing the allied military exercise.

He said NATO had asked that military aircraft participating in the annual Aegean Sea exercise “Display Determination” be allowed to operate inside the eastern Aegean air corridors, near them, or at high altitude.

“This would endanger civilian flights and the lives of passengers,” the spokesman said.

Papandreou, whose long-term aim is to withdraw from NATO, also has pledged to close down U.S. military facilities in Greece.

A Western diplomat said he expects the number of what Greece regards as violations of its airspace to peak over the weekend, when a large number of air force and navy maneuvers are scheduled. The NATO exercises will end Oct. 13.