Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, Turkey has showna posture consistent with its alignment in NATO, in particular by closing the straits and thus preventing Russian ships positioned in the Mediterranean from reinforcing the Black Sea Fleet. In addition, Ankara has actively supported Kyiv's military effort, in particular by delivering Bayraktar TB2 drones, the latter having played an important role in harassing Russian units during the offensive against Kyiv, as well as in the conduct of Ukrainian strikes against Russian naval units present in the Black Sea, including against the cruiser Moskva. This change in posture led to a certain normalization of relations with Greece and France, at least in appearance, because the Hellenic Mirage 2000s continued, throughout this period, to intercept Turkish F-16s and F4s which were trying to penetrate the Athens airspace.
One would have thought that Ankara wanted to capitalize on this new positive dynamic in order to normalize its relations with the European Union and the United States, especially since the American and European sanctions against the economy and the defense industry of the countries have created serious problems for President Erdogan who has to deal with galloping inflation and the halting of numerous defense programs emblematic of its governance, such as the Altay battle tank or the TFX fighter. In these conditions, the announcement made by the Turkish Minister in charge of Defense Industry, Ismael Demir, in an interview given to the country's media, clearly appears to be a disappointment for Europeans and Americans.
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