Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday stressed the importance of good-neighborly relations and mutual respect among NATO allies when asked about the possibility of the United States approving the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Turkey. He said outstanding disputes within the alliance must be resolved through dialogue and cooperation.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Mitsotakis avoided directly commenting on statements made by Donald Trump on Tuesday, when he signaled that he would seek to reverse the US ban on Turkey’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets. Instead, the Greek prime minister emphasized that NATO’s unity depends on respect for international law and consideration of the interests of all members.
“An alliance needs to be based on the fundamental principle of good-neighborly relations,” Mitsotakis said, adding that Greece continues to face what he described as an “open threat of war” from Turkey if Athens exercises its legal right to expand its territorial waters.
“I think we need to be cognizant of the fact that the sensitivities of all NATO allies need to be taken into consideration,” he said. “After all, we are a defensive alliance, and I’m sure that these outstanding issues can be resolved in the spirit of good-neighborly relations and in the spirit of cooperation.”
