Iran Press/Europe: Turkey's new policies in the region in relation to Greece, Libya, Iraq, and Syria, as well as some internal developments in the country, including in the field of history and culture have made the United States anger and analysts believe these preparations can be the beginning of the cold relations between the two countries.
In this regard, Ali Cinar, a foreign policy expert on US-Turkey relations, in a commentary published on the website of Turkish state broadcaster TRT said, "The expansion of military cooperation between the United States and Greece could stretch the US-Turkey relationship, a Turkish analyst has warned."
"As much as it may appear that the US and Turkey are beginning a new phase on Libya, other actors in the region are doing everything in their power to prevent Turkish-American cooperation in Libya," Ali Cinar wrote.
The analyst notes that the Pentagon has activated the use of military bases and facilities in Greece’s northern port city of Alexandroupoli amid rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly after Ankara issued a Navtex for seismic surveys in a sea area between Cyprus and Crete.
He also takes note of remarks by US Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt who sided with Greece over the contentious maritime boundaries agreement signed between Turkey and Libya by saying that all Greek islands, regardless of size, are entitled to the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
"The US needs to be more transparent and open in every exercise carried on with Greece," Cinar wrote, cautioning Washington against 'stretching relations with Turkey even more.'
Last year the US and Greece the last tear signed a revised defense cooperation pact providing for increasing joint US-Greece and NATO activity at Larissa, Stefanovikio, and Alexandroupoli as well as infrastructure and other improvements at the Souda Bay naval base in Crete.
In a related article, the New York Times writes, despite being a NATO member, Turkey has bought Russian air defense and a recent push into Libya and its energy ambitions nearly led to armed conflicts with France and Greece, it can be a threat in the relations between the US and Turkey.
"Turkey — increasingly assertive, ambitious and authoritarian — has become 'the elephant in the room' for NATO," Steven Erlanger is the chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe for The New York Times.
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