Retired Brigadier General and professor at the private Istanbul Aydın University, Naim Babüroğlu, demands a Turkish reaction to the arrival of 30 American Black Hawk and Apache helicopters to Demokritos airport in Alexandroupolis.
The selection of Alexandroupolis as the base for the American helicopters, which will take part in the upcoming allied “Defender Europe 2021” exercise, continues to provoke reactions in Turkey.
In an article entitled “What does it mean for the USA to position its attack helicopters in Alexandroupoli?” on Sputnik Türkiye, Babüroğlu commented on the US presence at the Alexandroupolis base and tensions between Turkey and Greece.
“That exercise was something that happened for the first time in NATO history,” the Babüroğlu explained.
“When the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean escalated between two NATO member countries, the US, which is the most powerful member of NATO and an ally of Turkey, is exercising with Greece, it means that ‘We in this tension are next to Greece’,” he said.
“Turkey had to denounce this strongly. There is always talk of postponing exercises,” the profesor suggested.
“That fact, from the point of view of the US relations with Turkey and Greece, was even more important than the creation of the base,” Babüroğlu continued.
“The US deployment of 30 attack helicopters in Alexandroupolis is not a development that will be visible only on a regular level, but at the same time will have strategic consequences,” he said, adding “In view of this, Turkey must take the necessary measures.”
Following his statements, he commented that the Alexandroupolis area should be demilitarized, in accordance with the Lausanne Peace Treaty, and that all these events testify to the coldness between Turkey and the US.
“There should be no army in Alexandroupolis. According to the Lausanne peace treaty, the areas 30 km from the border are demilitarized,” he said.
“According to some experts, Alexandroupolis is 30km from the border and within the area where there should be no army. This situation is an important sign of the coldness between the US and Turkey,” he concluded worryingly.
Read: The presence of American helicopters in Alexandroupolis is a challenge: Turkish media.
