US ambassador to Turkey: Alexandroupoli military buildup not related to Ankara
US ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake on Wednesday said that the US military buildup at the northern Greek port of Alexandroupoli, just a few kilometers from the Greek-Turkish border, has nothing to do with Turkey but with the war in Ukraine.
“I can say this unequivocally. Turkey is our partner. We are not engaging in a buildup against it. We are concerned about what is happening in Ukraine and are doing everything we can to support it,” Flake was quoted by the Turkish Hurriyet daily as telling CNN Turk.
The buildup in northern Greece is “merely a logistical effort,” he reportedly said, adding that the United States sees both Greece and Turkey as equal allies.
“We do not prefer one ally over another. Turkey and Greece have decided that the Aegean should be a sea of peace,” he said.
Alexandroupoli port in northern Greece has become a strategic NATO hub over the last few years for the transport of military hardware and personnel towards eastern Europe.
