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Alexis Tsipras, currently in the United States, has criticized Turkey\u2019s opposition to a planned undersea power cable between Greece and Cyprus, while also expressing his opposition to the potential sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, the former left-wing prime minister said in a social media post.<\/p>\n
He said these comments were made during a closed-door discussion organized by the Center for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. The meeting was attended by representatives from several think tanks, including the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Center for International Policy, as well as members of George Washington University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had the opportunity to emphasize the importance of Greece as a pillar of peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, particularly during this period of instability. I also pointed out that Greek-American relations should be strengthened based on mutual respect and shared benefits,\u201d Tsipras wrote in his post.<\/p>\n
He added that he had stressed that \u201cthe mobilization of Turkish warships in response to the laying of an electrical cable in the Aegean is unacceptable, and the United States should ensure that Greece can exercise its rights under international law without obstruction.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the same post, the former SYRIZA leader voiced his opposition to Turkey\u2019s potential return to the F-35 program, from which Ankara had been excluded due to its purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system.<\/p>\n
\u201cI emphasized that the sale of F-35s to Turkey should not proceed, as it would have negative consequences on the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria, as well as on Greek-American relations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Tsipras also expressed his support for the resumption of peace talks for Cyprus and for negotiations between Greece and Turkey to refer the issue of maritime boundaries to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.<\/p>\n
\u201cI reiterated my proposal for the resumption of negotiations on the delineation of the continental shelf\/EEZ in The Hague, linking them to EU-Turkey talks for a new economic agreement, as well as my support for the restart of discussions aimed at a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, based on the Guterres framework,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n