Alexandroupolis and Cyprus in Ankara's ''crosshairs''

From the upgrading of Alexandroupolis as a naval base to the military support of Cyprus, the strategic rearrangement of the region raises serious questions about the future security balances in the Mediterranean and the Balkans.

The Turks, considering themselves traditional guardians or leaders of the region, view these developments with great concern, as the new military investments strengthen the American weight in countries opposed to Turkey.

"After the Souda base in Crete, the US and Greece are now increasing their military cooperation, equipping the port of Alexandroupolis with heavy weaponry. The Trump administration is said to have proposed to Athens to develop the port of Alexandroupolis to host larger warships," the pro-government newspaper reports, referring to a new scenario that directly affects the security balances in the region.

"Hundreds of military vehicles, weapons and ammunition were unloaded from the American ship that anchored in Alexandroupolis as part of the NATO exercise "Steadfast Dart 2025". While most of this equipment is sent to Romania and Bulgaria, military mobility in the region has reached remarkable levels.

The US uses not only Alexandroupolis but also the ports of Thessaloniki and Volos as military supply centers. In recent days, planes carrying troops have been landing and taking off at the airports of Alexandroupolis and Thessaloniki, while new military ships and planes have been sent to the region for military exercises.

While "Steadfast Dart 2025", one of the largest NATO exercises in Eastern Europe, is hosted by Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, the logistical support undertaken by Greece is attracting attention. The increased US military presence in Alexandroupolis and their accumulation on the Turkish border has led to renewed discussions of the security balances in the region," Turkiye reports, showing how closely Turkey is monitoring every development in Greece.

At the same time, Cyprus is at the center of US military investments, which raises questions in Turkey about the future of regional security.

According to an article in the opposition website T24 by Hasan Gogo, movement between north and south in Cyprus has increased in recent years, with over 140 million crossings at the island's nine crossing points. The strengthening of interaction between the two communities contrasts with the political leaderships that are limited to symbolic moves.

The next phase, as the article notes, could be the integration of the Republic of Cyprus into NATO, a topic already being discussed in Brussels. However, it remains unclear what stance US President Donald Trump will take if he decides to become actively involved in the Cyprus issue. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio played a key role in lifting the ban on arms sales, which marks a gradual shift in US policy on the island.

With information from Ethnos.gr.