Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü said this week that Ankara is closer than it has ever been to resolving...

Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Levent Gümrükçü said this week that Ankara is closer than it has ever been to resolving its F-35 dispute with the United States, raising immediate concerns in Athens about what a rearmed Turkey could mean for the region. "This time we really feel closer," Gümrükçü said, adding that for the first time in 10 to 15 years, Turkey sees a genuine path to putting the issue behind it. Turkey was originally removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing the Russian S-400 missile defense system, a move that set off years of diplomatic deadlock with Washington. The Turkish deputy FM also dismissed Greek opposition to any expanded defense cooperation with Turkey, calling it unnecessary. That framing will land hard in Athens, where officials have consistently argued that Turkey's military ambitions in the Aegean and over Cyprus remain a direct threat to Greek and EU security interests. Greece has spent years building out its own air defense posture, including acquiring upgraded F-16 Viper jets and signing agreements for Rafale fighters. A Turkey re-entering the F-35 program would significantly shift the aerial balance in the Eastern Mediterranean, a region already under pressure from ongoing Aegean violations and unresolved disputes over Cyprus. Washington has not confirmed any agreement, but the tone from Ankara is the most confident it has been since the original fallout seven years ago. Whether the Trump administration moves forward with any deal, and under what conditions, remains to be seen. #Greece #Turkey #F35