In what is being considered in new step in military cooperation, a joint exercise between Cypriot, Italian, French and Greek naval forces will be held near the west of Cyprus.
The preparations for the exercise, which comes in the middle of continuing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region, have already begun. 3 Greek F-16 jets and 3 French Rafael fighter jets have already arrived the Paphos’ Andreas Papandreou airbase.
They will be participating with the Cyprus National Guard.
The joint naval drill comes after repeated claims by both Cyprus and Greece of Turkey violating their respective exclusive economic zones (EEZ). Turkey had sent the Oruc Reis, its seismic research vessel, along with several naval escort vessels the EEZ regions.
