Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis fired back at former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday after the ...

Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis fired back at former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday after the U.S. State Department confirmed that Turkey still does not meet the legal requirements under American law to be reinstated in the F-35 fighter jet program. Marinakis used the briefing to turn the announcement into a direct jab at Tsipras, suggesting the State Department statement be forwarded to Tsipras's new party, SYRIZA 2, and to Tsipras personally. His point was pointed: Tsipras had previously called Greece's exclusion from broader F-35 negotiations a "national defeat," language Marinakis noted was more damaging than anything Turkey's own newspapers printed at the time. "Does Mr. Tsipras have anything to say? Is he alright? Does he have an answer for why he rushed to call it a national defeat?" Marinakis said at the press briefing. The spokesperson made clear the government's position is not to comment on other countries' weapons programs, but to focus on strengthening Greece's own defense capabilities. Marinakis also took a broader swipe at opposition media outlets, saying various platforms had pre-emptively declared multiple national defeats that existed only in their imagination. He closed by restating the government's line that everything that seemed like an unreachable goal before 2019 has since been achieved and more. The State Department's confirmation that Turkey remains outside the F-35 program is a significant win for Greece diplomatically. Greece has long argued that Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system should disqualify it from receiving advanced NATO aircraft, a position that now has renewed backing from Washington. #Greece #F35 #GreekDefense