On the eve of the meeting, tomorrow afternoon, with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in New York, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey and Greece have been “friends for many decades. We never fought in opposite camps.”

As Manolis Kostidis reports from Istanbul, in an interview with the PBS network, journalist Amna Nawaz asks him the following question: “As you know, there are skeptics in the US Congress about this sale of F-16s. Among them is the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez. I spoke with him last week and he cites several reasons that he is opposed to the sale at this time, that you threaten Greek security, you imprison journalists and opposition politicians, you do not participate in the sanctions of the Western Alliance against Russia. And he said: “Turkey has the opportunity to show us and the rest of NATO that it is part of the team.” What about this one;”.

And Erdogan replied: “Bob Menendez doesn’t know much about Turkey. And Menendez doesn’t seem to know Tayyip Erdogan either. We have been friends with Greece for many decades. We never fought in opposite camps. It seems that Menendez has taken a hostile approach to Turkey and is trying to drag us into some discussions of his choosing, but we are not going to be a part of that. Our friendship with Greece is not as they present it”.

THE Amna Nawaz he continued: What about the US sale of F-16s to Turkey? Do you think this is connected to Turkey’s support for Sweden joining NATO? Because the day after you agreed to push Sweden’s NATO application through your Parliament, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that Washington will proceed with the sale of F-16s. Do you think the two issues are related?

Erdogan replied: “I think these two issues should not be connected, because while, first of all, President Biden said that this issue was tied up in Congress, we would always say, okay, we have the National Assembly. Therefore these matters are connected with the Parliament. If Parliament does not take a positive decision on this application, then there is nothing we can do.

She the question cannot be asked of a political leader. As the way I approach countries around the world are based on the ‘Kazan-Kazan’ win-win scenario. The better relations I have with the USA, the better relations I will have with Russia. With the same approach I will have relations with the EU members. kazan-kazan”.

In the meantime, the Turkish president’s reaction to a question about Demirtas caused a sensation.

Erdogan commented that “Selahatin Demirtas is a terrorist, he is responsible for the death of 200 people.”

Then the journalist intervened saying: “Sorry to intrude, but the European Court of Human Rights disagrees with this position.”

Then Erdogan answered her: “You have to respect me. You have no right to interrupt me. You must also respect the court’s decision.”