Greek sovereignty, Turkey and the West

In September 2022, the Hellenic Air Force took delivery of its first pair of upgraded F-16 fighter jets, under a $1.5 billion program with the US to fully modernize its fleet amid tensions with Turkey. [AP]

NATO members in late June supposedly reached a compromise deal to allow Finland and Sweden to join the transatlantic security alliance. Six months later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to force the two Nordic states to make changes, also regarding their domestic security in a way that would satisfy Ankara's whims. Twenty-eight of the 30 NATO members have ratified Sweden and Finland's accession. Apart from Turkey, only Hungary has so far held out.

In July 2019, Turkey shunned Washington's warnings against acquiring Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries, prompting the US to remove its NATO ally from the F-35 fighter jet program. Meanwhile, Turkey has refused to join NATO sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Ankara has in recent years built and maintained a special relationship with Moscow. This relationship obviously serves...

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