Alexis Tsipras trolls Turkish prime minister on Twitter

Greek leader publicly needles Ahmet Davutoglu over downed Russian warplane and refugees as the two leaders attend EU summit in Brussels

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras share a laugh at the start of a second working session of a summit on migration between European and African leaders, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras Credit: Photo: AP

The Greek prime minister took time out from an EU summit to publicly troll his Turkish counterpart with a series of tweets needling him about infringements of Greece's air space and the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish pilots.

The English language tweets were quickly deleted, but not before eagle-eyed Twitter users spotted and preserved them.

Alexis Tsipras addressed four tweets to Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish prime minister, apparently hinting that his pilots could shoot down Turkish planes that repeatedly challenge Greek territory if they wanted to.

However, the slightly cryptic language Igave way to a broader message that the two regional rivals should focus more on saving refugees making the hazardous journey across the Mediterranean Sea than on weapons.

Mr Davutoglu praised the deal, describing it as a “historic day” in Turkey-EU relations, and quietly shrugged off the Greek leader's comments.

It was perhaps a classic example of how to handle a troll, refusing to be sucked into discussing details or technicalities and instead offering a simple, broad refusal to engage.

The inflammatory tweets were later deleted and replaced with rather more diplomatic language, suggesting that frank talking was sometimes necessary.

Relations between Greece and Turkey frequently blow hot and cold. Although tensions remain over territorial borders in the Aegean Sea, Athens has supported Turkey's efforts to join the EU and there are signs that the two countries are making progress towards resolving their dispute over the divided island of Cyprus.