U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Joseph Dunford
The U.S. wants to expand its presence in Greece by increasing the use of military bases and ports in the country, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
“If you look at geography, and you look at current operations in Libya, and you look at current operations in Syria, you look at potential other operations in the eastern Mediterranean, the geography of Greece and the opportunities here are pretty significant,” Gen. Joseph Dunford was quoted as saying by the Military Times, a U.S.-based online magazine.
Dunford was in the Greek capital Athens on Tuesday to meet Greek Chief of Defense, Adm. Evangelos Apostolakis.
Turkish and Greek foreign ministers on Tuesday participated in the opening ceremony of the recently renovated Greek Consulate General’s building in Turkey’s Aegean province of Izmir.Speaking at the ceremony, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Turkey sees dialogue and cooperation as building blocks in its relations with Greece.He said Turkey has been hosting Greek consulate in Izmir since 1877.German FM to pay working visit to Turkey on WednesdayÇavuşoğlu said the start of ferry services between Izmir and Greece's Thessaloniki is facing a delay."This has to start as soon as possible. Let's work together on this issue. Likewise, we have a railroad project between Istanbul and Thessaloniki, we will also realize this," he added.Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, for his part, said that he hopes the visa requirement for the Turkish citizens to enter Greece will be lifted soon, which would also ease the workload of the consulate.Kotzias added that they will also renovate the Greek embassy building in the capital Ankara.Turkey could start drilling in Eastern Mediterranean: FM
Turkish, Greek FMs open renovated consulate in Izmir
According to the report, no specific bases have been identified but several options are being evaluated by the Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, head of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander.
“Those are discussions that Gen. Scap and others are having right now, as they look around the region in terms of where they want to put forces within the next five to 10 years,” the newspaper quoted an unnamed official.
Dunford said that the U.S. will continue using Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. The U.S. interest in Greek bases was not related to the U.S.-Turkey standoff, he added.
Greek passenger ships remained docked at ports across the country for a second day on Tuesday, as seamen extended a strike to demand wage increases and the reinstatement of labour rights after the expiry of the country's third bailout.The strike, which started at 0600 (0300 GMT) on Monday and was organised by Greece's seamen federation (PNO) and other sectoral unions including dockers and merchant marine engineers, led to travel disruptions and left tourists stranded at ports."I am very angry," said Simeon, a Ukrainian tourist who had made plans to travel to the island of Crete but was stranded at Piraeus port. "I don't know what I'll do today".The walkout forced many shipping companies to reschedule sailings and holidaymakers to seek alternative ways of travel in a country where tourism is a pivotal industry for the economy which is slowly emerging from a huge debt crisis.Tourism arrivals are seen rising to a record 32 million this year, industry officials have said. Traffic at Greek ports picks up during the summer, the peak tourism season, with Piraeus being the gateway for about 20 million passengers annually.Greek seamen strike over collective wage agreement, labor rightsAfter eight years of austerity prescribed by Greece's international lenders, its euro zone partners and the International Monetary Fund, the left-led government has pledged to reverse unpopular labour reforms and raise wages.PNO said that workers have not received an increase in the past eight years and recent negotiations with their employers over a new collective agreement that would include wage increases did not bear fruit.Unions have already extended the strike by a day to Wednesday to add pressure on shipping companies which they have accused of offering workers very low raises that do not correspond to their profits in recent years.They have threatened to escalate labour action and were expected to meet again on Tuesday to discuss the issue."Our demands are being rejected... We will propose that the strike is further extended by another 24 hours," unionist Antonis Dalakogiorgos told Reuters. 
Greek ships remain docked at ports after seamen extend strike
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Monday that Turkey could start drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean this autumn as the country had already purchased a platform.Speaking at a joint news conference with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Kudret Ozersay, Çavuşoğlu said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has territorial waters and a continental shelf which Turkey would take all measures to protect."Turkey has an economic area in the Eastern Mediterranean," he added.Çavuşoğlu also mentioned that Turkey had earlier prevented the start of some drilling works in the Eastern Mediterranean.Turkish warships at the ready in East Med as Idlib battle looms"Now, we have a platform and we can start drilling," Çavuşoğlu said noting that Ankara has discussed the issue with drilling companies and guarantor country Greece,Çavuşoğlu added that he will also meet his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias on Tuesday in the Turkish province of Izmir and discuss the Cyprus issue.He said if the Greek Cypriot side continues taking unilateral steps, Turkey will start drilling activities.Russia set for first post-Soviet military drill in Med.Ozersay also reiterated that if Greek Cypriots will continue unilateral drilling activities, Turkish Cypriots will also "start drilling soon" in accordance with the license it had already provided to Turkish Petroleum.Turkey has repeatedly warned the Greek Cypriot Administration about its unilateral hydrocarbon-related research in the Eastern Mediterranean, saying Turkish Cypriots also have rights to the resources around the area.Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup was followed by violence against the island's Turks and Ankara's intervention as a guarantor power.In 2017, after two years of negotiations, the latest attempt to reunify the long-divided Mediterranean island ended in failure.
Turkey could start drilling in Eastern Mediterranean: FM