It is presented to the neighboring country as a first step of US goodwill towards Turkey the news of the State Department’s approval of the sale of the new F-16 communications system.

As SKAI correspondent Manolis Kostidis reports from Istanbulthe Turkish media reported the news with enthusiasm and now in Ankara they are waiting for the basic modernization kit:

CNN Turk TV reported: “We have breaking news, the US State Department has officially informed Congress that it is giving its approval for the grant of F-16 modernization kits. The upgrade system concerns Link-16 which is the radio information exchange network. With this decision, Congress will be informed and approved. If within 15 days there is no tension in Congress, then the sale will be formalized.”

For its part, the Haber Global television network noted: “We know that Biden has stated that he supports the sale and modernization of F-16s to Turkey. But the Greek and Armenian lobbies were trying to block this effort and that is why there was information that the Biden administration did not transfer this request to Congress. A detail that has now come to the US State Department to inform Congress that it approves the sale of the Link-16 systems for communications and data transmission of the F-16.

Kalin sees the Greek islands “squeezing” Turkey

Meanwhile, the representative of the Turkish presidency Ibrahim Kalin in a television interview noted that “with Greece we need diplomatic recovery”, referring to the Greek islands and the friendly relationship that must be maintained:

“From the point of view of the authorities, we should not get into fights with Greece. But we have certain burdens that are burdened by history and geography. Without treating these, without putting them through diplomatic recovery and without finding solutions to them, you cannot take a step towards the future. There is a reality imposed on us by geography. There are the islands, the geography, some practices of the past, there is the Cyprus issue. Along with all of that, you’re trying to manage this relationship.”

At the same time, Mr. Kalin noted: “If I want the security of the city of Urfa, Hatay and Adep, then I am obliged to ensure the security of the areas located 30 or 40, maybe even 150 kilometers beyond the border. If I desire the security of Adrianople and Thrace then I must look to the Balkans and southern Europe. So we have to draw the line of our security further forward. There must be a 360-degree perspective. What is happening in Damascus, Baghdad, Athens, Tehran, Sofia and Tbilisi. This is the first circle. There are others. The interest reaches as far as Brussels, Washington and Tokyo.”