ATHENS - There was no let-up in Turkish provocations, which heightened tensions by sending fighter jets into Greek airspace on Christmas Eve, keeping Greek pilots busy intercepting them, Turkey breaking an unofficial moratorium not to conduct operations on the holidays.

The three violations occurred between 3:34 and 4:23 p.m. over the islet of Rho, in Greece's far-eastern corner, close to the Turkish coast while Deputy Defense Minister Alkiviadis Stefanis was visiting the area, said Kathimerini.

The Chinook helicopter in which he was flying was not bothered, however, the paper said, although it wasn’t added whether Turkey was trying to send him and the New Democracy government a message.

Turkey is challenging the sovereignty of Greek seas, having signed a deal with Libya to divide the waters between them and with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying his country would begin drilling for oil and gas off Crete and claims areas off Rhodes.

The European Union has given its moral support to Greece but has stopped short of issuing sanctions, fearful that Erdogan will make good on threats to send millions more refugees and migrants on the bloc, through Greek islands.

They had gone to Turkey fleeing war and strife in their homelands, especially Afghanistan and Syria’s civil war and are continuing to be sent to Greek islands by human traffickers operating during an essentially-suspended swap deal with the EU that began in 2016, still in effect.