The U.S.-Turkish crisis has gone too far and the U.S. has to look for new regional “partners”.
This is stated in an article by the German edition of Handelsblatt.
The material noted that Ankara is increasingly distancing itself from the West, stopping playing by American rules: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is strengthening relations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and the Turkish army is already receiving Russian air defense systems. The U.S. administration, really evaluating the situation, has already looked into the potential replacement of Turkey. It is Greece, a well-known regional rival of Ankara.
In the edition, the U.S. actions are called the “re-turnover of Greeks” to promote its own interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. Thus, on the territory of Greece, the American military presence is being systematically expanded. At the same time, Turkey is turning from a loyal “partner” of the United States into a “hostile to the West pro-Russian autocracy”, – the author stresses.
During his visit to Athens, U.S. State Department head Michael Pompeo suddenly called Greece a regional “pillar of stability. The diplomat assured that relations between Washington and Athens are “stronger than ever”. At the same time, the Greek parliament has already approved an agreement on military cooperation as a demonstration of U.S. loyalty. This agreement will actually ensure an increase in the U.S. military presence in the Balkan state and the Greek island of Crete, in particular.
Moreover, the Pentagon will have access to the air bases “Stefanovikio” and “Larissa”, as well as the port of Alexandroupolis. The latter will eventually become a new stronghold for the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet, which is deployed in the Mediterranean Sea.
The article also notes that Alexandroupolis is interesting to Washington not only from a militaristic point of view. It is here that “Gastrade” company will build a terminal to receive liquefied natural gas, which the U.S. is trying so hard to supply across the Atlantic.