US Intensifying Plans To Move Its Main Military Base At Incirlik To Greece

A U.S. Air Force (USAF) C-5 Galaxy Outsize Cargo Transport Aircraft lands at Incirlik air base in Adana, Turkey, August 10, 2015. (Reuters)

Arab News: US intensifying plans to move military assets from Incirlik to Greece

* The US is considering Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete as an alternative to Incirlik
* Erdogan has also threatened to kick the US military off Incirlik air base if Congress imposes sanctions on Turkey

NEW YORK: The US is exploring plans to relocate some of its important assets from the Incirlik air base in Turkey to Greece.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss such proposals on his visit to Souda Bay, a US naval facility on the northern shores of the Geek island of Crete.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee for Europe, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Jonson, had already mentioned earlier in September that the US is considering Souda Bay as an alternative to Incirlik.

Jonson told the Washington Examiner that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “disturbing” foreign policy has spurred American officials to intensify preparations to withdraw from Incirlik.

Read more ....

Previous Post: Will The U.S. Military Leave Incirlik Air Force Base In Turkey And Relocate To The Greek Island Of Crete? (September 12, 2020).

WNU Editor: Talk about moving the US base has been intensifying for the past few weeks. I still have my doubts that it will happen.

Will The U.S. Military Leave Incirlik Air Force Base In Turkey And Relocate To The Greek Island Of Crete?

Washington Examiner: US eyes Greek island as alternative to Turkish base due to ‘disturbing’ Erdogan actions, senior senator claims

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “disturbing” foreign policy has spurred U.S. officials to intensify preparations to withdraw from Incirlik Air Force base, according to a senior Republican senator and American analysts.

“We don't know what's gonna happen to Incirlik,” Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee for Europe, told the Washington Examiner. “We hope for the best, but we have to plan for the worst.”

Erdogan has threatened American access to the base, which reportedly houses dozens of U.S. nuclear weapons, multiple times since he squashed a failed coup attempt in 2016.

Read more ....

Update #1: Pentagon Eyeing Greece as ‘Alternative’ if Erdogan Closes Incirlik Base - US Senator (Sputnik)
Update #2: Is the US about to move its 50 nuclear bombs from Turkey to a Greek island? (Greek City Times)

WNU Editor: I do not see this happening. Even though tensions between Greece and Turkey are now at their highest in decades, the Greeks have a long history of not being supportive of a US military presence in their country. The establishment of a permanent major base in Crete will only aggravate these tensions.

US, Greece Hail Strategic Relationship After Signing Revised Defence Deal

RFE: Pompeo Inks New Defense Pact With Greece, Criticizes Russia, Iran, China

The United States and Greece have signed an updated defense-cooperation pact, a move Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said was not aimed against any one nation in the region, including Turkey.

Nevertheless, in remarks made during his visit to Athens on October 5. Pompeo cited "malign" Russian influence on NATO ally Greece and its neighbors and criticized Iran and China.

The accord announced by Pompeo provides for increasing joint U.S.-Greece and NATO activity at Larissa, Stefanovikio, and Alexandroupoli as well as infrastructure and other improvements at the Souda Bay naval base.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Not everyone is happy with this agreement .... 'Pompeo go home': Ugly scenes in Greece as Communist rioters burn American flag, fight with cops and throw paint on statue of Harry Truman in protest at Secretary of State's visit (Daily Mail)

More News On The U.S. And Greece Signing Revised Defence Deal

US, Greece sign revised defense cooperation agreement -- ABC News/AP
Greece can be 'pillar' for regional stability: Pompeo -- AFP
US, Greece hail strategic relationship after signing defence deal -- Al Jazeera

An Ackward Moment Between President Trump And Greek President Tsipras

Reporter to Greece PM: You said of a Trump presidency, "I hope we will not face this evil."

Trump: "I wish I knew that before my speech." pic.twitter.com/hm3yU6zaDY

— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 17, 2017

CNN: Once-critical Greek PM praises Trump over 'common values'

Washington (CNN)When President Donald Trump sat for talks Tuesday with his left-wing Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras, he faced a man who last year warned his own citizens that Trump represented an "evil" raft of ideas with no place in western democracy.

Now that Trump is President, Tsipras finds himself among the club of world leaders hoping to paper over their election-year criticisms of the billionaire businessman, who is known to carry a grudge and remember even the smallest slight.

Speaking in the Rose Garden after their meeting, Tsipras downplayed his election-year remarks, insisting he's ready now to partner with Trump.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: From commenting last year that he hoped he "would not face this evil" (i.e. Trump) .... to praising him today over "common values" .... you just cannot make this up. But in all fairness to Greek Prime Minister Tsipras .... he came to power because the establishment in Greece utterly destroyed the country's finances .... and it has been an incredibly difficult job for him ever since. AS to today's meeting, what I find interesting about the two men is that they have a lot in common. Both are anti-establishment figures with a populist message, and both are despised and hated by the elites in their country.

Update: I like Zero Hedge's take on this Trump-Tsipras meeting today .... Trump Meets Tsipras, "Evil" Awkwardness Follows (Zero Hedge).

U.S. Asks Greece To Close Its Airspace To Russian Aircraft

Reuters: U.S. asks Greece to deny Russian flights to Syria

The United States has asked Greece to deny Russia the use of its airspace for supply flights to Syria, a Greek official said on Monday, after Washington told Moscow it was deeply concerned by reports of a Russian military build up in Syria.

The Greek foreign ministry said the request was being examined. Russian newswire RIA Novosti earlier said Greece had refused the U.S. request, adding that Russia was seeking permission to run the flights up to Sept. 24.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would not give any official reaction until there was a decision from Athens.

WNU Editor: Athens has just refused this U.S. request. I am surprised that this request was made public .... they are usually done in private via through back-channels to avoid embarrassment to an ally who does not want to be put on the spot. In this case it looks like the U.S. made the decision "on the fly" .... without sufficient preparation .... and definitely without any thought on what would happen if Greece would say no ....which they just did. In diplomacy .... at least when I worked as a minor diplomat .... we would have called such behaviour "amateurish" at best.

More News On The U.S. Asking Greece To Deny Russian Flights To Syria

US asks Greece to deny Russian flights to Syria -- AFP
Greece mulls denying use of airspace to Russia planes carrying supplies to Syria -- AFP
U.S. Bids to Stop Russia Greek Flights Amid Syria ‘Build-Up’ -- Bloomberg
Russian Supply Flights To Syria: U.S. Reportedly Asks Greece To Deny Russia Use Of Its Airspace For Syria-Bound Flights -- IBTimes
Greece confirms US asked to close airspace to Syria-bound Russian aid flights -- RT
Kremlin silent on US request to Greece to close its air space for Russian aircraft -- TASS
Plan B: Russia May Use New Aid Flight Routes to Syria Bypassing Greece -- Sputnik

Update: Russia Answers U.S. Criticism Over Military Aid to Syria -- NYT

U.S. Reaction To The Greek Crisis: 'Not Our Problem'

Politico: White House on Greece: Not our problem

Despite stock sell-off, administration says U.S. has little to fear from eurozone crisis.

U.S. stocks tanked on Monday with the Dow giving up all its gains for the year as Greece headed toward default and possible exit from the eurozone common currency union.

And the White House said: not our problem.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 350.33 points, or close to 2 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Nasdaq each also lost around 2 percent as Greece kept its banks shuttered, fearing a run on cash, and prepared to default on its debt on Tuesday.

Asked about the stock market decline and Greece on Monday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest basically shrugged it off. “The fact is the U.S. exposure to Greece is small, in terms of our direct exposure,” he said. “We do continue to urge all sides to contribute to pragmatic discussions.”

WNU Editor: The U.S. has a bigger problem right now .... Puerto Rico wants to be able to declare bankruptcy (CNN). More to the point .... Puerto Rico poses bigger threat to U.S. investors than Greece (Market Watch).