Greek fighter pilot missing after collision with Turkish jet

A Greek fighter pilot is missing, presumed dead, following a mid-air collision with a Turkish plane over the south Aegean sea.

The two F16s collided over the sea near the island of Karpathos after the Greek plane attempted to intercept Turkish planes on manoeuvre. The Turkish defence ministry claimed the incident occured in international airspace while Athens said the exact location of the accident had yet to be established. The Turkish pilot was recovered from the sea by a commercial ship after he reportedly refused assistance from a Greek rescue helicopter. Observers said that the relative calm with which both sides treated the incident is a sign of improved relations in recent years.

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