by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed his and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's condolences over the death of a Greek Air Force pilot in the Aegean Sea on Thursday, in telephone call to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the Greek government announced.
"The two Premiers agreed to keep communication lines open and to strengthen dialogue between the two countries," according to an e-mailed statement from Tsipras' office.
A single-seat Mirage 2000-5 type jet crashed off Skyros island while returning to base from an interception incident with Turkish Air Force planes, according to the Greek Defense Ministry.
The dead body of flight lieutenant Yorgos Baltadoros, 34, who was married with children, was recovered about nine nautical miles off the Greek island, according to an e-mailed press statement from the Greek Air Force.
The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. According to Defense ministry sources, the weather conditions in the area were fair and the Greek pilot was experienced.
In an e-mailed statement, Greek Deputy Defense Minister Fotis Kouvelis stressed that the plane's crash and the pilot's death are "in no way connected to the interception mission."
Such interception incidents are reported often in the Aegean Sea, and have increased lately amid increased tensions in the relations between the two neighboring countries over pending issues.
During Thursday's phone conversation, the Greek prime minister raised the issue of the two Greek servicemen, who have been detained in Turkey since early March for trespassing, and Yildirim briefed him on the judicial process and said he will keep him informed, according to Greek government sources.
The ties between Turkey and Greece have soured in the past two years also following the escape of eight Turkish military officers to Greece a day after the failed coup attempt.
Ankara has sought their extradition to be tried on charges of treason, but Greece's Supreme Court has ruled against it and the eight officers have requested political asylum in Greece.
