Turkish jets scrambled over to track coastguard boats

Turkey reportedly scrambled fighter jets on Wednesday to check reports that missing coastguard vessels were sailing to Greek waters in the Aegean Sea, reports say.

The Reuters news agency quoted Turkish military sources as saying the planes had been sent to monitor the boats,  but provided no further details. 

The Turkish Dogan news agency also reported officials as saying the air force planes "launched an operation against two Turkish coastguard boats identified to be attempting to cross into Greek territorial waters".

The reports come five days after a failed coup against the government in Turkey.

The interior ministry later said the reports the boats had been hijacked were false, and the fighters apparently returned to base.

"All coastguard boats are continuing their mission under the Coast Guard Security Command, and allegations of hijacking are not true," said a ministry statement carried by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

The incident comes a day after Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said all military hardware and equipment had been accounted for. 

Kalin said that there was "nothing missing... all boats, planes, tanks - everything accounted for. A few rebel soldiers are still on run".

According to a report in the The Times newspaper on Tuesday, Veysel Kosele, the admiral in command of the Turkish navy, has been out of contact since Friday night’s attempted putsch and 14 naval vessels were unaccounted for. 

The Times report said the ships, which include corvettes and at least one frigate, were on duty in either the Aegean or the Black Sea on Friday. They have all failed to make contact with naval headquarters since. The report did not name the ships. 

According to unconfirmed reports in the Turkish media, Kosele was tricked onto his ship by those coup plotters, who told him that a terrorist attack was taking place.

Eight Turkish military officers fled to Greece in the immediate wake of Friday's failed coup that had sought to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The eight - two commanders, four captains and two sergeants who have applied for asylum in Greece - have denied any involvement and insist that they fled from Turkey to save their lives after coming under police fire.

The men, who arrived in Greece by military helicopter on Saturday, are to face trial for illegal entry on Thursday.