A GREEK FIGHTER JET AND A TURKISH WARPLANE COLLIDED AND CRASHED NEAR THE ISLAND OF KARPATHOS IN THE AEGEAN SEA AND A SEARCH FOR THE PILOTS WAS UNDERWAY, THE GOVERNMENT SAID. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AS THE GREEK PLANE INTERCEPTED THE TURKISH AIRCRAFT, GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EVANGELOS ANTONAROS SAID. GREEK AND TURKISH FIGHTER PLANES FREQUENTLY INTERCEPT EACH OTHER OVER THE AEGEAN, MOSTLY IN AREAS OF DISPUTED AIRSPACE. GREECE SAYS ITS NATIONAL AIRSPACE EXTENDS TO 10 MILES (16 KILOMETERS), BUT TURKEY RECOGNIZES ONLY SIX MILES (10 KILOMETERS) _ THE SAME DISTANCE AS TERRITORIAL WATERS. LONG-STANDING DISPUTES OVER AIRSPACE AND TERRITORIAL RIGHTS IN THE AEGEAN HAVE NEARLY LED TO THREE WARS BETWEEN THE TWO NATO ALLIES SINCE 1974. A RESCUE OPERATION INVOLVING A GREEK HELICOPTER AND NAVY VESSELS WAS LAUNCHED FOR THE THREE MISSING PILOTS _ TWO TURKS AND ONE GREEK, THE GOVERNMENT SAID. The Associated Press quoted the DEFENSE MINISTRY as saying that THE PLANES _ A GREEK F-16 AND A TURKISH R-F4 JET _ CRASHED INTO THE SEA 20 KILOMETERS (12.5 MILES) SOUTH OF KARPATHOS.
