Closer US-Greek defense cooperation irks Erdogan

For all the talk about a possible rupture with the West, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan actually wishes to mend his frayed relationship with Washington. But there are obstacles to that, including a Congress skeptical about Turkey’s demand to buy 40 F-16 fighter planes and 80 upgrade kits.

At the same time, Turkey, long used to being the indispensable NATO ally in the Eastern Mediterranean, is growing alarmed as the US invests in upgrading the northeastern Greek port of Alexandroupoli.

Turkey, kicked out of the F-35 advanced fighter program because of its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile systems, is running low on F-16 spare parts.

Some experts believe that far less than 50% of Turkey’s 260 F-16 fighters are operational, which explains the fact that recent overflights over Greek airspace in the Aegean are mostly being conducted with unmanned aerial vehicles.