Souda Bay – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis touted a plan to upgrade the Aegean nation’s fleet of American-made F-16 fighter jets amid a series of standoffs with historic rival and fellow NATO alliance member Turkey.

“It is a very sensitive area that has been recently tried by Turkey’s aggressiveness with provocative actions,” Mitsotakis said Tuesday after a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “The Greek response to provocative actions is always a defense of our international rights … It is a policy that is, in fact, welcomed by all our neighbors and allies.”