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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sharpened his rhetoric against Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, saying he “does not exist for him”.
His statement comes after he visited the US and accused the Greek prime minister of trying to block the sale of F-16 fighter jets in Ankara.
“We had agreed not to include third countries in our dispute with him. Despite this, he had a visit to the US last week and talked to Congress and warned them not to give us the F-16. [Mitsotakis] no longer exists for me. “I will never agree to meet him.”Erdogan said at a press conference.
However, the Turkish president said he did not anticipate that the US would take Mitsotakis’ opinion into account when making its decision to sell the F-16.
Ankara had made a request to Washington in October to buy 40 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets. The State Department wrote a letter to Congress last month saying it would serve the U.S. national interest and NATO unity to approve the sale.
Erdogan also announced the cancellation of the strategic council meeting with Greece, according to the Anadolu Agency.
Tensions between neighbors and NATO members Greece and Turkey have risen since 2020 following Ankara’s plans to explore for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean.
The two countries have also had a number of disputes over air and sea borders. Last month, Athens and Ankara exchanged accusations of airspace violation with fighter jets.
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