The American Hellenic Institute sent a formal letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Athens for th...

The American Hellenic Institute sent a formal letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Athens for the 6th U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, urging Washington to take a clear stand against Turkish actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and block any effort to give Turkey access to F-35 fighter jets. AHI President Nick Larigakis signed the letter, calling Greece a "faithful, reliable, and steadfast ally" of the United States, pointing out that Athens not only meets but exceeds its NATO defense spending commitments and consistently honors its obligations under the U.S.-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement. The letter gave particular attention to Souda Bay in Crete, describing it as a critical hub for American military operations across the region. According to Larigakis, U.S. fighter jets, aerial refueling aircraft, transport planes, and special operations assets have repeatedly used Souda Bay facilities throughout the Middle East crisis. Greece also moved a Patriot missile battery to Crete to protect the base, a decision the AHI framed as Greece bearing real costs and risks on Washington's behalf. On energy, the letter highlighted Greece's role as a gateway for American LNG entering Europe through terminals at Revythousa and Alexandroupolis, as well as through the Vertical Corridor connecting Central and Eastern Europe and Ukraine. The AHI argued this directly serves U.S. strategic interests by reducing European energy dependence on Russia. The letter also addressed Turkey's "Blue Homeland" doctrine and its standing threat of casus belli against Greece, stating that Turkish behavior in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean runs counter to both international law and U.S. strategic interests. The AHI called on Washington to keep CAATSA sanctions on Turkey in place over its purchase of the Russian S-400 system, and took a firm position that Turkey should not be readmitted to the F-35 program. The institute also asked the U.S. to support the 3+1 framework between the U.S., Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, and to fully resource the U.S. Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center. #Greece #USTurkey #EasternMediterranean