The Greek government has dismissed media reports and concerns of the opposition over US President Donald Trump’s possible decision to restore Turkey’s access to a program that would allow it to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets, describing them as “rumors” and critics as “snake-oil peddlers.”
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that four senior Trump administration officials described the coming change in policy, after weeks of behind-the-scenes work by national security officials to break the stalemate. But the shift by Trump, who is heading to a NATO summit in Ankara today, could face opposition in Congress, which could seek to block it.
“Many times, some opposition parties in Greece and the media also have dealt with these issues is a partisan game,” government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis told Skai TV on Tuesday, when asked about the reports.
“I am telling the people not to believe snake-oil peddlers on national issues. Greece, which was at absolute zero [in terms of defence procurements] in 2019, has today achieved many times more than some of our neighbors are now trying to claim,” he said.
Marinakis said that, in 2019, Greece was not included in the program to procure F-35 fighter jets or upgrade its F-16 fleet. Today, Greece has secured 20 ultra-modern F-35s with the option to increase them to 40, while 56 F-16s have already been upgraded to the Viper category.
