Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — In what could mark the most serious escalation, Turkey
reported a confrontation with an Israeli aircraft near the coast of Cyprus.

The Turkish military accused Israel of violating the air space of the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, controlled by Ankara. On May 17, the
military said two U.S.-origin F-16 multi-role fighters pursued an
unidentified Israeli aircraft three days earlier around an energy
exploration zone in the eastern Mediterranean.

“A plane belonging to Israel, the model of which could not be
identified, violated KKTC [Northern Cyprus] air space five times,” the
Turkish military said. “In response, two F-16s based at Incirlik were
scrambled, and our planes carried out patrol flights in KKTC air space,
preventing the said plane from continuing to violate KKTC air space.”

Turkey, which launched a search for crude oil and natural gas near
Northern Cyprus, has warned Israel and the Republic of Cyprus against
exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. In 2011, officials said the
Turkish Navy was prepared to block Israeli and Greek Cypriot offshore
natural gas projects.

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