Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during the 13th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara, Türkiye, on Aug 8, 2022. (ADEM ALTAN / AFP)
ANKARA – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday called on the United States to strike a balance in its relations with Türkiye and Greece.
Cavusoglu made the remarks at a press conference in the Turkish capital Ankara when he was asked a question about media reports on a possible US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Greece.
The US policy of balance "began to deteriorate," Cavusoglu said at the press conference, which was also attended by visiting Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic.
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Türkiye and Greece, both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), have long been at odds over their overlapping claims of airspace and territorial waters in the Aegean and Mediterranean, as well as other issues concerning minorities and illegal immigration.
Elaborating on his upcoming visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, Cavusoglu said their talks will cover the Turkish government's demand to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernization kits for its existing fleets from the United States.
The minister emphasized that Ankara hope Washington would not place any conditions on the sale of F-16 aircraft.