The message that, regarding Turkey’s possible reinstatement in the F-35 program, “the sensitivities of all NATO member states must be taken into account” was conveyed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his remarks upon arriving at the North Atlantic Alliance summit in Ankara.

Without commenting directly on the U.S. president, the prime minister sent a clear message that the Alliance’s cohesion depends on respect for good-neighborly relations and the sovereign rights of all member states.

“An Alliance must be based on good-neighborly relations. Especially when my country is threatened with war by Turkey if it exercises its sovereign rights, we must be certain that the concerns of all members are taken into account,” he noted emphatically, bringing the Greek argument back to the forefront that a casus belli against a member state of the Alliance cannot be ignored.

Concluding his remarks on Turkey, the Greek prime minister said, “It is always a pleasure to visit Ankara; I have always been an advocate for improving relations between the two countries.”

“Greece is one of NATO’s most reliable allies.”
At the beginning of his remarks, the prime minister highlighted Greece’s position as one of NATO’s most reliable allies, noting that the country had honored its commitments regarding defense spending even during the difficult years of the fiscal crisis.

“We always honor our commitments regarding NATO spending, even during periods of austerity. Today, we are one of the five leading countries in terms of defense spending,” he emphasized.

At the same time, he reiterated that Greece has consistently supported European strategic autonomy, while making it clear, however, that this does not compete with the United States.

“I have always been in favor of Europe’s strategic autonomy—not as a competitor, but as a strong pillar of NATO,” he said.

Referring to developments in the Middle East, Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed hope that the truce between the United States and Iran would hold, warning that renewed tensions would have an immediate impact on the economy and the cost of living.

“At a time when the cost of living is the number one problem for governments, we all hope that we will avoid new tensions that would lead to further price increases,” he said.

Source: Protothema.gr