In a swift response to the US State Department’s recent approval of the sale of 40 F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wasted no time resuming his provocative rhetoric against Greece.
The decision, which also includes the modernisation of 79 additional F-16s, was granted less than 24 hours ago.
Addressing his party’s candidates for municipal elections in Izmir, Erdogan declared, “Our struggle did not end by throwing the enemy into the sea in Izmir!” The Turkish President continued to assert the historical significance of the Marmara and Aegean regions, stating, “The regions of Marmara and the Aegean are the regions where the first foundations of our thousand-year history were planted.”
Erdogan’s return to confrontational language comes in stark contrast to his previous period of refraining from such rhetoric against Greece. Analysts believe that this change in approach played a crucial role in garnering approval from the US Congress for the sale of the fighter jets.
The US disclosed that Turkey has formally requested the acquisition of 40 new F-16 aircraft, in addition to the modernization of 79 existing F-16s to the Viper level. The request also includes a substantial quantity of mainly air-to-ground missiles and guided bombs. The geopolitical implications of this arms deal continue to raise concerns about the delicate balance in the region.
Source: Protothema.gr.
