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Greek and Turkish F-16 fighter jets collided in mid-air Tuesday while shadowing each other in the southern Aegean, where the two NATO allies have long disputed control over airspace.

The exact circumstances of how the two planes crashed, in an area where aircraft of the two age-old rivals frequently harass each other in close maneuvers, were not immediately clear.

The Turkish military said the crash was caused by a Greek fighter interfering in Turkish maneuvers in international airspace. Greece, however, said the collision occurred during "interception maneuvers" above the Greek island of Karpathos.

Karpathos mayor Michalis Ioannidis said islanders had heard an explosion but seen nothing.

A Greek frigate was ordered to sail towards Karpathos, close to popular tourist spots of Rhodes and the Turkish coast, to take part in the search and rescue operation. Turkish vessels were also scrambled.

Greek officials said the Turkish pilot had been rescued by a foreign commercial vessel and was picked up by a Turkish military helicopter after refusing to board a Greek rescue helicopter. There was no immediate word of the Greek flyer.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called his Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyanni, who is visiting Helsinki, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The two foreign ministers expressed their regret for today's incident and agreed that this should not affect the two countries' efforts to improve their relations," it said.

Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul said the Turkish and Greek military commanders had immediately contacted each other over the incident, the apparent fruit of confidence-building measures agreed last year to stop such incidents escalating.

The countries came close to war as recently as 1996 over a deserted Aegean outcrop and before that over the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in 1974. Ties have warmed in the last six years, with Greece backing Turkey's drive to join the European Union, but tensions remain over the territorial issues and analysts said incidents such as the collision are sure to sour relations.

"This incident will not do any good," said Thanos Veremis of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) think tank. "I think it will increase Greek frustration."

He said Greeks feel their moderation towards Turkey in recent years is not being reciprocated, with no major moves from Ankara on pending issues, including the Cyprus division.

(China Daily May 24, 2006)