Greece Urges US to Block Turkey's F‑35 Acquisition Amid Casus Belli Dispute

Greek officials have repeatedly warned that Turkey’s possible acquisition of U.S. F‑35 fighter jets threatens regional stability and represents a “national defeat” for Greece. Former prime minister Alexis Tsipras called the move a national loss, while Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis described Turkey’s lingering casus belli against Greece as a “huge burden” that must be lifted. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and MP Gus Bilirakis said Greece will not be a spectator and highlighted Greece’s own participation in the F‑35 programme and F‑16 upgrades. In response, Greece has intensified lobbying in Washington, meeting a bipartisan congressional delegation led by Senator Roger Wicker to urge the United States to prevent Turkey from re‑joining the program. The officials stressed the need to preserve the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean and cited NATO summit discussions in which President Donald Trump praised Turkey’s defence ties. U.S. representatives have not publicly commented on the matter.