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On Monday Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin met along with his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, to debate the latest sale of F-35 fighter jets and joint US-Greek cooperation within the Aegean Sea and jap Mediterranean.
Tensions have risen in latest months between the 2 NATO nations, with Turkey launching a collection of threats in opposition to Greece.
Victoria Coates, former Deputy Nationwide Safety Advisor for the Center East and North Africa, mentioned of the assembly: “Greece is a vital accomplice within the Japanese Mediterranean that has been instrumental in establishing power and safety coordination within the area. As Turkey is taking over an more and more antagonistic position, we are going to want extra cooperation with Greece, not much less.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, second left, and NATO Secretary Basic Jens Stoltenberg earlier than signing a memorandum through which Turkey accepts Finland and Sweden’s membership within the protection alliance in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
(AP Photograph/Bernat Armangue)
TURKEY’S ISLAMIST LEADER USES NATO TO GET A FREE HANDS AND PUNISH US ALLIES
Based on Related Press Greece and Turkey they’ve strained relations over quite a few points, together with competing maritime boundary claims affecting power exploration rights within the jap Mediterranean. Tensions flared in 2020 over exploratory drilling rights in areas of the Mediterranean Sea the place Greece and Cyprus declare their very own unique financial zone, resulting in a naval standoff.
Turkey additionally claims that Greece is violating worldwide agreements by militarizing islands within the Aegean Sea. Athens says it must defend the islands, lots of which lie near Turkey’s coast, in opposition to doable assault utilizing Turkey’s massive fleet of navy touchdown craft.
At a serious navy train final month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in accordance with media studies, mentioned: “As soon as once more, we name on Greece to cease equipping islands which can be beneath civilian standing and act in accordance with worldwide agreements. I am not kidding, I am critical. This nation is decided, if it says one thing, it should comply with.”
Pope Francis is greeted by Greek International Minister Nikos Dendias as he arrives at Eleftherios Venizelos Worldwide Airport in Athens, Greece, Saturday, December 4, 2021.
(AP Photograph/Thanassis Stavrakis)
In Could, Erdoğan mentioned he would cease speaking to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after he accused him of persuading Washington to not. promote F-16 fighter jets to the Turks throughout a visit to the US
Throughout Monday’s press availability, Secretary Austin mentioned, “The protection relationship between the US and Greece has by no means been stronger. A particular because of Greece for internet hosting the US Naval Help Exercise at Souda Bay, which It is a cornerstone of our advocacy relationship.”
His Greek counterpart said that Greece “reaffirmed the significance of a robust, deep and ever-growing strategic protection partnership between the US and Greece” and highlighted the “two updates to the Mutual Protection Cooperation Settlement in 2019”.
Particularly, Minister Panagiotopoulos referred to the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Greek Military: “A brand new milestone on this strategic partnership is undoubtedly the acquisition of the most recent technology F-35 fighter, an necessary step for our deterrence and even nearer interplay, coordination and interoperability between the armed forces of Greece and the US.”
F35 plane within the air. Minister Panagiotopoulos referred to the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Greek military. “A brand new milestone of this strategic partnership is undoubtedly the acquisition of the most recent technology F-35 fighter, an necessary step for our deterrence and even nearer interplay, coordination and interoperability between the armed forces of Greece and the US.” .
(US Air Power picture by Senior Airman Ali Stewart)
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Sale of US fighter jets to Turkey has been a contentious concern in recent times as Erdoğan commits Turkish forces to combating in Syria at the price of belligerent US allies and pursuits. Erdoğan threatened to dam Sweden and Finland from getting into the NATO has made restricted intervention and incursions into northern Iraq, and as such, the US Home of Representatives lately added new hurdles to Biden’s plan to promote the F-16 fighter jet to Turkey.
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Turkey confronted heavy criticism from the Trump administration and lawmakers when it bought Russia’s S-400 airborne missile protection system, resulting in US sanctions in 2020. On the time, US officers sounded alarm bells that the S-400 take care of Russia might endanger NATO. safety and jeopardize intelligence sharing between the US and Turkey.
“The Greek protection minister will seemingly search assurances from the US authorities that he is not going to make F-16 gross sales to Turkey with out stronger assurances from Turkey, together with that airspace violations by Turkish plane is not going to proceed.” mentioned Sinan Ciddi, a nonresident senior fellow who focuses on Turkey’s home and international coverage on the Basis for Protection of Democracies. “With out this, Greece is more likely to attempt put strain on the Biden administration not help F-16 gross sales to Turkey.”
The Related Press contributed to this text.