WASHINGTON, DC – The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) on June 16 issued the following statement, attributable to AHI President Nick Larigakis:

AHI condemns Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s continued threats to Greece.

After recently threatening to “bury” Greece, President Erdogan attacked Greece via twitter, in the Greek language, stating: “We warn once again Greece to be prudent, to stay away from dreams, rhetoric and actions that will lead it to results for which it will regret, as happened a century ago.”

President Erdogan’s threats and revisionist rhetoric via tweet, including alluding to a modern day replay of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), are completely unacceptable. We call upon the Administration, namely the State Department, to condemn Erdogan’s provocative rhetoric.

Furthermore, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg continues to be the biggest appeaser of Turkey in NATO, stating Turkey’s security concerns are legitimate in regard to its stated opposition to Finland and Sweden joining the Alliance. This must end. AHI has raised this concern in the past, and urged Secretary General Stoltenberg to address Turkey’s behavior. AHI remains disappointed with NATO’s inability to address intra-Alliance conflicts because it lacks a provision or mechanism to deal with such an issue. Turkey does not share NATO’s core values, purpose or best interests. The current situation with Finland and Sweden is evidence. We call on Secretary General Stoltenberg to push back against Erdogan’s efforts and act in the best interests of the Alliance.

More information about AHI is available online: https://www.ahiworld.org/.