Arrival of Greek F-16s in Turkey Is Thaw in Decades-Old Tension

For decades, Turkish warplanes have fought high-speed mock dogfights against Greek jets flying over disputed territory, a show of strength that each side used to intimidate the other and hone battle skills.

On Saturday, the Turkish air force carried out a new mission--welcoming the first Greek warplanes in at least three decades to visit a Turkish air base. The visit is part of a remarkable thaw in Turkish-Greek relations that began last year, when both sides sent aid to each other after devastating earthquakes.

Six Greek F-16 warplanes, colored gray and sky blue, touched down at Balikesir in northwestern Turkey, the country’s main air base facing Greece.

The Greek warplanes came to Turkey to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Destined Glory 2000 exercises, which will involve about 21,000 soldiers and sailors from seven countries: Greece, Turkey, the United States, Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy. The vast majority of the personnel will be on 70 ships taking part in the maneuvers.

Turkey hosts the exercises, but an American officer, Vice Adm. Gregory Johnson, is in command.

The exercises start Monday with submarine maneuvers off the Turkish coast.

In a brief welcoming ceremony, Col. Semih Birdogan, the operational commander of the Turkish base, called the joint training exercises “a historic opportunity for two countries.”

Top Greek and Turkish officials have been talking throughout the year about ways to reduce tensions. Although few concrete steps have been taken to resolve the territorial disputes that brought the two sides to the brink of war three times in 26 years, the change is remarkable.

Defense ministers from the rival countries met in Greece for the first time Tuesday and discussed how to cut military spending. The two NATO members have the most powerful militaries in the region.