Greek officials are seeking closer ties to the U.S. military, a move that occurs as Turkey refuses to back down on acquiring a Russian air defense system that could compromise NATO aircraft.
In the event that the United States refuses to supply Turkey with F-35 fighter jets, Ankara will satisfy its needs elsewhere, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Russian news agency Sputnik.
Delegations from the Greek and Turkish foreign ministries, led by Greek foreign ministry general secretary Amb. Dimitris Paraskevopoulos and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Amb. Sedat Onal, respectively, will initiate political talks in Athens on Friday.