ATHENS – Apart from rival parties who said he wouldn’t confront US President Joe Biden about the proposed US sale of F-16s to Turkey, the visit to America of Prime Minister Kyriakois Mitsotakis was seen as a success, said Kathimerini.

Mitsotakis also addressed the US Congress and did talk with Biden about Turkish provocations and the F-16s, but delicately, and said that Greece wants to acquire F-35’s that Turkey was barred from buying after acquiring Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

Once again – it was said when the now major rival SYRIZA was in power – both sides claimed that relations have never been better between them, especially with renewal of a military cooperation deal.

Mitsotakis was warmly greeted in the Congress where he talked about how important the ties were even though the US keeps one foot in Turkey’s camp and wants to provide arms that could be used against Greece.

The paper said that Mitsotakis’ immediate support for Ukraine after Russia invaded – he later backed off to some degree, not wanting to go against Greek shipping oligarchs who keep moving Russian oil – also elevated Greece.

The report said that his talk to Congress about revisionism and references to Russia and Turkey were aimed at trying to convince the lawmakers to block Biden’s hope to sell F-16’s to Turkey

Mitsotakis also tried to rally an often divided Diaspora and ended his trip with  an address to the Greek-American community in the presence of Archbishop Elpidophoros, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He said that many of the scores of thousands who left Greece during an economic and austerity crisis were returning, even during the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, wanting to be back in their homeland as it tries to renew itself.