Imia: ‘It has a red flag and definitely people’ – Final helicopter transmission before crash

Thirty years have passed since the Imia crisis, when Greece and Turkey came perilously close to armed conflict. During the crisis, a Greek helicopter crashed, claiming the lives of Lieutenant Christodoulos Karathanasis, Commander Panagiotis Vlachakos, and Chief Petty Officer Hector Yialopsos. In an audio recording aired in a SKAI documentary presented by Alexis Papahelas on Thursday, January 29, 2026, the final communication between the doomed helicopter and the frigate ‘Navarino’ was revealed. The flight had been tasked with verifying whether Turkish soldiers had occupied the islet of West Imia while Greek commandos were stationed on East Imia. Moments before the crash, a crew member confirmed to the frigate the presence of Turkish troops and a Turkish flag on the islet. Simultaneously, he declared an emergency due to a Master Caution warning lighting up on the helicopter’s instrument panel. The transcript reveals increasing urgency: ‘It has a red flag and definitely people.’ ‘Roger. I have Master Caution but don’t know what emergency.’ ‘Peristeria 310-2.1 — come directly to me. Tell me your emergency.’ ‘I have Master Caution but don’t know what emergency.’ ‘Peristeria 270-0.8 — come to me.’ ‘Turn on lights so I can see you.’ ‘Received — already executed.’ ‘I have emerg…’ — followed by fragmented calls for help. In 2018, 23 years after the crash, fisherman recovered Vlachakos’ helmet and returned it to his family. Months after the crisis, his father was summoned to the Ministry of National Defence and offered an undamaged helmet purportedly belonging to his son — raising questions about official handling. The Imia crisis, though not altering sovereignty over the islets, marked Turkey’s first official invocation of ‘grey zones’ in the Aegean — challenging Greek sovereignty and introducing a new, enduring point of contention in bilateral relations. Greece consistently rejects the concept, citing binding international treaties.