Balkans: October 7, 1999

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Turkish fighters intercepted 4 Greek F-16s on their way back from exercises in Cyprus. A defense source said that the Turks did not interfere with the Greek F-16s. The Greek F-16s had overflown Larnaca and Paphos. They did not land at the Andreas Papendreou air base outside of Paphos. Turkey said that landing at the Paphos air base could hurt Greek-Turk relations. Greek sources denied that the decision not to land was political, describing the decision as purely "tactical." Meanwhile, a homemade bomb went off outside of the Greek Zographio school in Istanbul. No one was injured.