During a visit to the United States on April 4, 2025, Alexis Tsipras, the former Greek prime minister, voiced strong criticism of Turkey’s stance against a proposed undersea power cable linking Greece and Cyprus, as well as its potential acquisition of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets. In a social media post, Tsipras shared insights from his remarks at a private event hosted by the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC, attended by representatives from prominent think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Center for International Policy, alongside George Washington University members.
Tsipras highlighted Greece’s role as a stabilizing force in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans amid regional turbulence, urging a deepening of Greek-American ties rooted in mutual respect and shared interests. He condemned Turkey’s deployment of warships in the Aegean to obstruct the power cable project, calling it “unacceptable” and pressing the U.S. to uphold Greece’s rights under international law.
The ex-SYRIZA leader also opposed Turkey’s reintegration into the F-35 program, arguing that such a move would disrupt the Eastern Mediterranean and Syrian power dynamics and strain Greek-American relations. Turkey was previously excluded from the program following its purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system.
Additionally, Tsipras advocated for renewed Cyprus peace talks and proposed that Greece and Turkey resolve their maritime boundary disputes at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. He tied this suggestion to broader EU-Turkey economic negotiations and reaffirmed his backing for a fair, sustainable resolution to the Cyprus issue based on the Guterres framework.