Unpopular opinion but I think we should accept the F-16V deal as it is with the constraints regarding Greece. F-16s are the most optimal choice technically and I think Greek lobbies that try to isolate Turkey from US by making this deal unacceptable did not think things through.
First of all, you can agree to the conditions of the US and then use the jets however you'd like. Greeks are also prohibited from militarizing the islands but nobody gives a shit. We can even take a page out of their book and claim this is due to the self-defense article from the UN Charter that overrides everything else. If anybody objects to that, they can also object to the militarization of islands.
Second, we would not actually be doing something that violates these constraints. Greeks cry about the violations primarily due to two reasons: flights between 6-10 nm and overflights over disputed islands. Flights over 6-10 nm do not violate Greek airspace and the US actually agrees with the Turkish POV here. So any complaints to the US would result in US making their view against Greek fantasies even clearer. In case of overflights over disputed islands the US will probably agree with Greeks, but Turkey might ask for negotiations on this issue and eventually ask to take the EGEAYDAAK issue to the international courts. Greeks are pretty afraid of taking this issue to court so the process will get deadlocked here. In both cases, we will have internationalized problems that Greeks desperately do not want internationalized. So, apart from the value of weapons, this purchase would give a diplomatic opportunity to us.
Even the worst case of US stopping support for F-16s would take a lot of time due to diplomatic back and forth and by that time we would have the first MMUs put in service. Not to mention that by that time TAI could support the planes on its own if it had to. As I said Greek lobbies did not think this through. They are trying to freeze any deals and make the US and Turkey fight again, so we should not play into their hands.
I will agree that weapon purchases with conditions attached are a bit undignified but they are very commonplace and this might be the last major one for Turkey, so let's get it over with.
First of all, you can agree to the conditions of the US and then use the jets however you'd like. Greeks are also prohibited from militarizing the islands but nobody gives a shit. We can even take a page out of their book and claim this is due to the self-defense article from the UN Charter that overrides everything else. If anybody objects to that, they can also object to the militarization of islands.
Second, we would not actually be doing something that violates these constraints. Greeks cry about the violations primarily due to two reasons: flights between 6-10 nm and overflights over disputed islands. Flights over 6-10 nm do not violate Greek airspace and the US actually agrees with the Turkish POV here. So any complaints to the US would result in US making their view against Greek fantasies even clearer. In case of overflights over disputed islands the US will probably agree with Greeks, but Turkey might ask for negotiations on this issue and eventually ask to take the EGEAYDAAK issue to the international courts. Greeks are pretty afraid of taking this issue to court so the process will get deadlocked here. In both cases, we will have internationalized problems that Greeks desperately do not want internationalized. So, apart from the value of weapons, this purchase would give a diplomatic opportunity to us.
Even the worst case of US stopping support for F-16s would take a lot of time due to diplomatic back and forth and by that time we would have the first MMUs put in service. Not to mention that by that time TAI could support the planes on its own if it had to. As I said Greek lobbies did not think this through. They are trying to freeze any deals and make the US and Turkey fight again, so we should not play into their hands.
I will agree that weapon purchases with conditions attached are a bit undignified but they are very commonplace and this might be the last major one for Turkey, so let's get it over with.