Greek leaders split tone on Türkiye, F-35s after NATO Summit

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece should avoid viewing major NATO decisions solely through the lens of its relationship with Türkiye, while Defense Minister Nikos Dendias reiterated Athens' opposition to Ankara potentially rejoining the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program.

Speaking after this week's NATO summit in Ankara, Mitsotakis acknowledged that Greece often takes a "narrow-minded" approach by reducing alliance-wide decisions to bilateral tensions with Türkiye. He said the summit focused on key issues including defense spending, support for Ukraine and Europe's role in collective security, adding that Greek-Turkish disputes should be addressed directly between the two governments.

Mitsotakis also criticized sections of the Greek media for what he described as exaggerated coverage of NATO events, while maintaining that Greece's longstanding disputes with Türkiye should be resolved under international law. No formal meeting was held between Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the summit, although the two leaders exchanged a handshake.

Athens opposes possible F-35 sale to Türkiye

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece would not welcome any U.S. decision to supply Türkiye with F-35 fighter jets or engines for next-generation aircraft.

While stressing that Washington has the sovereign right to decide its arms sales, Dendias questioned whether such a move would serve U.S. strategic interests and regional stability, arguing that any advanced weapons transfer should come with assurances they would not be used against another NATO member.

Türkiye was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring Russia's S-400 air defense system. Ankara has rejected U.S. concerns, insisting there is no technical conflict between the two systems and arguing that its return to the program would strengthen NATO.

Source:turkiyetoday