Greece scrambles F-16s over reported Turkish drone

Greece scrambled F-16 fighter jets on Friday after a drone reported to be from Turkey flew over Alexandroupolis airport in the country's northeast, Greek media and a military source said.

State broadcaster ERTnews said a Turkish drone illegally entered Greek airspace near Alexandroupolis, close to the border with Turkey, prompting an immediate air force response. A Greek military source confirmed the incident to AFP but said it was not serious.

ERTnews reported that the drone flew near the airport runway as a passenger plane prepared to depart. News outlet Ekathimerini said two F-16s were scrambled and that the passenger aircraft was told to use a different runway and then keep to a low altitude until the area was clear.

European countries are on heightened alert over drone incursions after several recent incidents linked to the Ukraine-Russia war. Greece and Turkey are both NATO members but have long-running tensions over land and sea boundaries. Greek authorities have counted an increasing number of drone incursions since 2025.