Israeli airforce provokes Turkey

The Turkish media has revealed that the two Israeli warplanes and helicopters circled above a Turkish research ship exploring gas fields near Cyprus last night. The planes, which were in Turkish airspace, circled for a number of hours before being forced to leave by Turkish warplanes. According to Turkish newspaper, the F-15 took off from Israel and flew through the airspace of Greek and Turkish Cyprus. Israeli pilots are believed to have ignored warnings from northern Cyprus and approached the shore. Two Turkish F-16s were scrambled and headed for the Israeli aircraft, forcing it to withdraw. Israeli public radio has reported that the Israeli army denies any knowledge of the incident. Israeli reports also said that Turkey this week finished the construction of its first warship. The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier: "Turkey has established itself among the ten countries in the world capable of producing combat ships."