WASHINGTON, DC – The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) condemns the overflight of two Turkish fighter jets near Greece’s northern port city of Alexandroupolis on May 20, and urges the Biden administration to call out Turkey for its violations.

“Turkey’s aggression near Alexandroupolis is egregious, violates Greece’s sovereignty, and poses a threat to NATO and European security, which is detrimental to U.S interests,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “Turkey’s overflights must be viewed through this lens by the United States and must not be minimalized as a ‘Greek-Turkish dispute.’ We urge the Biden administration to condemn Turkey’s violations and to call on Turkey to cease and desist with its overflights of Greece’s airspace.”

Why It Matters

Turkey’s overflights over Alexandroupolis are a significant escalation as Turkish overflights usually occur over the Greek islands.

Alexandroupolis is an emergent energy hub, and critical for the projection of NATO and United States security interests into the Balkans and Black Sea.

Greece enables a substantial portion of the U.S. Army’s 10th Combat Aviation Brigade to enter the European theater through the port of Thessaloniki and to depart through Alexandroupolis.

Alexandroupolis has recently been referred to as the “Souda of the North” by the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff Konstantinos Floros.

Currently, military aid is being transited to Eastern Europe and Ukraine via Alexandroupolis.

Background

AHI repeatedly has condemned Turkey’s overflights and recently called on Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland to formally review Turkey’s violations of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).

AHI has long contended that whenever Turkey violates Greek airspace with an American-supplied jet, such an action contravenes the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).