Intense skepticism prevails in Turkey about the presence of the American foreign minister Anthony Blinken in Crete, and indeed at the house of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Chania. For the Turks, explained Manolis Kostidis, the possibility that Greece will get the state-of-the-art F-35 fighters and Turkey will not get the F-16 will cause intense dissatisfaction in Ankara and a diplomatic crisis with the USA.

“It shows intimacy, a direct relationship Blinken’s presence in Mitsotakis’ house, and in Turkey they take it very seriously,” commented Manolis Kostidis, while the neighbors contrasted the gradual “enlargement” of Souda’s base with that of Incirlik.

“The Fidan – Blinken meeting was at a good level like the previous one. The issue of Greece and the latest climate prevailing in the relations between the two countries were discussed,” commented the director of Milliyet newspaper Ozai Sendir.

“I will worry if the shadow of the USA “falls” on the Eastern Mediterranean The place he visited is Crete and he went to the base of Souda. It opened as a small base in the 70s, today it is one of the main bases of the Eastern Mediterranean and Crete is a big island. There he went, Let’s hope they don’t get involved there again…” however, Sentir added.

“It looks like we’re reaching the final stage of the F-16 process. And in this meeting, even if it is not in the official announcements, there are three interrelated issues. Since he himself also went to Crete. Let us get the F-16s, let Greece get the F-35s and Sweden’s accession to NATO,” said CNN Turk’s correspondent in Washington, Yunus Paksoy.

“There remains only one matter, and we don’t know if Blinken has agreed with President Erdogan. As you know Turkey in the Parliament committee the question of Sweden. The question is whether now they will first insist that Sweden’s membership be finally approved, or whether the US State Department led by Blinken will first send the F-16 issue to Congress and start the 15-day waiting process. If Blinken as a step of goodwill takes this step, as a result of this good meeting, then the Swedish question will be approved by Parliament. But if they insist on Sweden joining first, and Turkey does, and the F-16 issue remains pending, this improvement in relations and relaxation will be immediately extinguished and we will reach a low point in relations. I wish Biden, Blinken and Congress they will not make such a historic mistake” Paxoy added.