Top Turkish, US officials discuss Ukraine war, F-16 deal

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye’s presidential spokesperson and the US national security adviser discussed bilateral issues and global developments, including the Ukraine war, in a phone call on Monday.

Ibrahim Kalin and Jake Sullivan exchanged views on bilateral political and economic matters, defense and energy cooperation, developments in the Aegean and Mediterranean, and other regional issues, according a statement by the Turkish presidency.

On the Ukraine war, Kalin emphasized the need for concerted diplomatic efforts to mitigate the damage that the conflict has inflicted on peace and stability worldwide, as well as the global economy and energy and food security.

He reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to continue its diplomatic initiatives, including an extension to the landmark Istanbul agreement on Ukrainian grain shipments that expires in November.

He also conveyed Türkiye’s expectations regarding the “unconditional completion of the approval process of the F-16 procurement and modernization request by the US Congress,” the statement said.

In a recent development welcomed by Ankara, two amendments making potential F-16 sales to Türkiye contingent on a series of conditions were removed from the Senate version of the relevant bill.

In his discussions with Sullivan, Kalin reaffirmed that Türkiye will not hesitate to protect its legitimate rights and interests in the Aegean and Mediterranean.

He underlined that Greece must “put an end to its actions and provocative statements that disregard international law,” the statement added.