ISTANBUL – ANSWER. Ankara maintains a low tone in Greek-Turkish and sends messages of cooperation to Athens, despite the negative signs of the first public opinion polls, which show Recep Tayyip Erdogan losing by a margin to his opponent in the presidential elections, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in two consecutive interviews with CNN Türk and Anadolu agency, he referred to his telephone conversation with Nikos Panagiotopoulos. Mr. Akar emphasized that when his colleague in Greece invites him for a visit, he is ready to respond positively. The Turkish Defense Minister stated that “we must improve our relations first of all in the Aegean Sea, as well as in other matters, so that our citizens can live in peace and prosperity. We are for a fair distribution of the wealth of the Aegean, and this is what we say and repeat.”

F-16

“We must improve our relations, first of all in the Aegean, but also in other matters,” said the Turkish Defense Minister.

Mr. Akar also mentioned the issue of the F-16s that Turkey wants to buy, as well as the modernization of its air force. “Now we are waiting for the Congress. We hope and wish that he will make a decision with common sense, in accordance with the ideas of the White House and the Pentagon. We expect positive and concrete steps in the next period. We want it to be known that any extreme course on this issue can indeed lead to problems for the parties, and that we are not desperate on this issue and we have many alternatives.”

The Turkish Defense Minister stressed that his country is demanding the return of the advance that Ankara paid for the F-35, but never received. “Returning to the program is a separate issue. The focus of our discussion now is that we have paid a significant amount of money. We have made a payment of $1.4 billion,” he said.

Meanwhile, the gratitude of the Turkish government for the solidarity shown by Greece after the devastating earthquakes in the southeast of Turkey was expressed by the Turkish Ambassador to Athens Tsagatay Erciyes, who was received yesterday at the EMAK facilities by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. Christ Stylianides. “The Greek mission proved what practical, necessary solidarity is. Greece will stand by the side of the earthquake victims for as long as necessary,” Mr. Stylianidis emphasized, and according to the Turkish Embassy on Twitter, Mr. Erciyes “confirmed Turkey’s gratitude and thanked the members of EMAK and EKAB.” .