Greece's Defense Minister Nikos Dendias made clear Thursday that Greece opposes any U.S. decision to sell F-35 fighter j...

Greece's Defense Minister Nikos Dendias made clear Thursday that Greece opposes any U.S. decision to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, calling it a direct concern for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Speaking at an Economist conference in Athens, Dendias said Greece is also uncomfortable with Turkey receiving engines for next-generation aircraft. He stopped short of challenging Washington's right to make the sale, framing it instead as a question of American self-interest. His exact words: "We are just asking one question: Is it to the real interest of the US, yes or no?" Dendias argued that handing an advanced weapons platform to one NATO member without guarantees it won't be used against another allied member is not in the interest of the U.S., NATO, or stability in the region. The statement is a pointed reference to Turkey's ongoing disputes with Greece in the Aegean and over Cyprus. The backdrop to all this is the NATO summit in Ankara, where U.S. President Donald Trump had floated the idea of lifting sanctions on Turkey to clear the path for F-35 sales. Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing Russia's S-400 missile defense system, and U.S. law currently bars any F-35 transfer to Ankara while it holds the S-400s. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, also speaking at the Ankara summit, declined to comment directly on Trump's remarks but stressed that NATO's unity requires respect for international law and the interests of all member states. The concern from Athens is straightforward. An F-35-equipped Turkey would represent a significant shift in the air power balance in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Greek and Turkish jets already shadow each other regularly over disputed airspace. #Greece #Turkey #F35