U.S. Senator Rick Scott called Turkey's conduct toward Greece and Cyprus "thuggish behavior" during an interview with th...

U.S. Senator Rick Scott called Turkey's conduct toward Greece and Cyprus "thuggish behavior" during an interview with the Associated Press today in Athens, making him one of the most senior Republican voices to deliver that kind of blunt criticism of a NATO member in recent memory. Scott, who sits on both the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, did not mince words. Flying F-16s over another country's territory and maintaining a military occupation of northern Cyprus, he said, is simply not what an ally does. "You're not acting like a NATO ally when you take F-16s and fly over somebody else's country. You're not much of an ally when you occupy a portion of another country's land," Scott told the AP. "So, I'm hopeful that it will change, but if you look at it, it's thuggish behavior." The senator's visit comes shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Athens, and Scott held talks with Greek officials on both defense and energy. The electricity cable project connecting Greece, Cyprus, and potentially Israel is at the center of a fresh dispute, with Turkey insisting it should be consulted before seabed surveys even begin. Scott made clear the U.S. intends to back the project. He said the cable link is good for Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States, and that Washington would do everything it can to make sure Turkey does not interfere with it. He also addressed the diplomatic gap left by Kimberly Guilfoyle's departure as U.S. ambassador to Greece, saying the broader relationship between Washington and Athens would not be affected. The White House had publicly called for Guilfoyle's resignation over allegations of improper conduct, which she denies. Turkey and Greece have been locked in disputes over Aegean maritime boundaries, airspace, and Cyprus for decades. Cyprus has been divided since Turkey's military intervention in 1974, 52 years ago. #Greece #Turkey #Cyprus