The United States is calling for any differences between NATO allies to be resolved through diplomacy, State Department spokesman Ned Price said on the Threats by the Turkish Foreign Minister against Greece.

During the regular briefing of diplomatic editors, the representative of the US State Department noted that “Greece is an important ally, Turkey is an important ally. We continue to work with all parties to reduce tensions in the region from Turkey’s perspective, from Syria’s perspective, and from other frictions in the region.”

At the same time, Ned Price did not fail to once again send the signal that Turkey must refrain from any military action in Syria.

According to him: “Our position on this matter has not changed. We continue to state publicly and privately that we strongly oppose military action, including a possible ground invasion, that would further destabilize communities in Syria and seriously jeopardize the hard-won progress of the global coalition against the Islamic State (IS). ) in recent years. We believe that all parties should de-escalate (the situation) immediately. We don’t want an escalation along the border, inside Syria, or in northeast Syria. Not only will this jeopardize the hard-won progress of the anti-ISIS coalition, but it could also jeopardize our own personnel, the American personnel.”

On the F-16 and the Menendez controversy

In the wake of the release of the final text of the US defense budget (NDAA), a correspondent for the Turkish TRT network asked Ned Price about the latest State Department estimates regarding the level at which the process of selling the F-16s is.

The spokesman replied that “Turkey is an important NATO ally, it is an important security ally. We want our defense capabilities to be integrated and for Turkey to have everything it needs to face the formidable threat it faces. No NATO ally has faced as many terrorist attacks on its territory as our Turkish allies. Therefore, our cooperation in the field of security is of paramount importance to us. The issue was discussed by the two presidents when they met this summer at the NATO summit in Madrid. This has also been discussed at a lower level. This is a discussion that we have had with Congress, and of course we have an ongoing dialogue with Congress on this issue, but I have nothing to say publicly.”

Ned Price was then asked about her. reaction from Senator Robert Menendez, who tweeted that “Contrary to some claims, the NDAA is not a victory for Turkey. It’s just one of the many tools we have at our disposal in the Senate to fight gun sales. I will say it again. As chairman of the foreign relations committee, I will not approve the F-16 for Turkey until Erdogan stops his aggressive actions in the region.”

Contrary to some claims, #NDAA this is not a win for #Turkey. This is just one of the many tools we have at our disposal in the Senate to combat arms sales.
I will say it again.
As #SFRC Chairman, I will NOT approve the F-16 for Turkey until Erdogan stops his abuses in the region. https://t.co/TmYCwsCap9

— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) December 7, 2022

In response to this specific question, Ned Price reiterated his original position, stating that the State Department’s discussions are focused on providing the capabilities Turkey needs to be able to fulfill its role as a NATO ally.

Source: RES-IPE