Turkish media accuse Greece of hindering resolving the F-35 issue

Turkish media continue to invent conspiracy narratives and scapegoats behind Turkey's F-35 and S-400 negotiations. The latest conspiracy is that Greece and self-exiled Fethullah Gülen are sabotaging the resolution of the F-35 issue.

According to the front page of the pro-government Turkish newspaper, Milliyet, the Greek lobby in the US and the Gülen movement, which Ankara calls the FETO terrorist organisation, headed by self-exiled imam Fethullah Gülen, are working together to prevent a deal that would allow Turkey to return to the program of F-35.

"Devil's alliance for the F-35," Millyet publishes on its front page

Milliyet published an extensive article entitled "Devil's Alliance for the F-35," which claims that the talks between Turkey and the US have disturbed Greece and that the Greek lobby and the Gülen movement are engaged in a smear campaign against Turkey.

The main argument for the narrative is the reference to Michael Rubin, an American analyst with—as Milliyet claims—controversial relations with the Gülen movement. Rubin is the source of Greek media reports on the negotiations surrounding the S-400 and F-35.

"Rubin, the FETO supporter behind these impression claims, is Turkey's biggest enemy," wrote Milliyet, who recalled that Rubin even predicted the coup in Turkey in his texts before July 15, 2016.

Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in July 2019 after receiving the Russian-made S-400 system earlier that month. Washington has used access to the F-35 to impose pressure on Ankara to abide by NATO’s wider policy of denying arms revenues to the Russian defence sector.

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