Foreign Relations Committee

Last night, the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was attacked by surface drones, according to local authorities. Car traffic on the Crimean bridge, connecting the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula with the Krasnodar region, was temporarily halted for about an hour. Local residents reported powerful explosions and a fire in a mountainous area above the city, as noted by UNIAN.

The meeting was as warm and spontaneous as never before in my journalistic adventure. Here’s exactly what happened last Thursday on Xenokratous sidewalk outside a well-known café. I saw him exit the embassy’s massive car and at first contact, he hugged me, spoke to me in the familiar manner as if we had known each other for years. “Dimitri, I’m glad to see you” (in Greek)

Türkiye is moving closer to acquiring a fleet of F-16 fighter jets from the United States as the draft offer and acceptance letters have been officially received, according to a defense ministry official.

Türkiye expects to receive the draft offer and acceptance letters for the procurement of F-16 fighter jets from the United States by the end of this month, according to defense sources.

The U.S. Congress has given its final approval for the sale of 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye under a $23 billion deal as the 15-day objection period concluded on Feb. 10.

The approval follows the official notification from the Biden administration to Congress on Jan. 26.

US Senator Robert Menedez (D-NJ), the powerful chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, says that Turkey should not get new F-16 fighter planes and upgrade kits until they "end their belligerence" towards Greece, news site Politico reports.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has reiterated Ankara's expectation over the smooth supply of 40 new F-16s and 79 modernization kits for the existing fleets from the United States, saying that the matter waits for the approval of Congress.

If Turkey "plays its cards right," it can convince the U.S. Congress to allow a roughly $6 billion purchase of 40 Block 70 F-16 fighter jets and approximately 80 modernization kits from Lockheed Martin to upgrade its existing fleet, the Defense News reported referring to comments by Congress members.

US Senator Bob Menendez's return to the chairmanship of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is very important for America, for our commitment to democracy and human rights and for areas in which he has particular interest, such as Cyprus, Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church. His return is important for a number of reasons.

US Senator Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the upper house's Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement on Monday expressing his "great sadness" at the death of former senator Paul Sarbanes, and saying that his life and work was a "testament to what is possible."