Santa Barbara AHEPA Chapter 243

TANAGRA, Greece - Inside the bunkered briefing room, colored pins mark Greek and Turkish air force bases on a large map of the Aegean Sea. But outside, jets roar into the sky as Greek pilots intercept Turkish fighters in fiercely contested air space.

This air base is at the sharp end of a dispute burdened by wars, piles of international agreements and peace treaties, and unusual geography that has kept prospects of a solution between the two NATO allies remote. Greece and Turkey remain at odds over air-and-sea boundaries and flight rules in the Aegean. So in an area best known for its holiday beach resorts, armed warplanes routinely carry out interceptions and mock dogfights.

"This is what we do every day," said 332 Squadron Commander Antonis Vassiliou, whose outfit uses French-built Mirage 2000 jets for interception missions out of Tanagra Air Force base, 40 miles north of Athens.