'Catastrophic failure': Greek opposition blames gov't for US decision to sell Türkiye fighter jets

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - Opposition parties in Greece blamed the government for the recent US decision to sell Türkiye F-16 fighter jets in what they called a "catastrophic failure" in Athens' foreign policy, local media reported.

After the US State Department sent its decision on the potential sale of 40 jets and 79 modernization kits for tiered review in Congress, the leftist Syriza party said in a statement that this highlighted the policy failure of being a "faithful and devoted ally," of Washington, the Efsyn news outlet reported on Sunday.

"The Government's dangerous foreign policy has increasingly adverse consequences for Greek interests," it added.

Separately, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) warned that the foreign policy choices of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' administration were opening dangerous pathways for a special regime on the Greek islands in which NATO would have the first say.

The far-right Elliniki Lisi was also harsh in its criticism of Mitsotakis' conservative Nea Dimokratia (ND) government, which it accused of abandoning the Greek diaspora in the US alone in its efforts to block the arms sale to Ankara.

Accusing the government of leaving the diaspora to work by itself to prevent the US administration's decision, it argued that this was tantamount to national humiliation.

The US State Department sent Congress its decision on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye for tiered review, sources told Anadolu on Friday.

The notification on the sale of new F-16 jets and modernization kits has been conveyed to the chairmen and ranking members of relevant committees in the House of Representatives and Senate, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The State Department is expected to officially announce its notification this week. The congressional notification of the sales will start a 15-day window for lawmakers to raise objections.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in late December that Ankara expected "positive and concrete steps" from the US regarding the sale of the fighter jets that Türkiye requested in October 2021.