Greek PM says Turkish jets forced his helicopter to reduce altitude

FILE PHOTO: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrives at a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2019. Julien Warnand/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Turkish jets buzzed his helicopter as he was flying on Monday to a Greek island to mark the anniversary of the 1821 uprising against Ottoman rule, but Turkey said there was no attempt to intercept his flight.

"They forced the helicopter I was on to manoeuvre low until Greek jets intercepted the forces violating our national air space," Tsipras said in a speech on the island of Agathonisi, a few miles from Turkey's Mediterranean coast.