WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ahead of his one-day visit to Turkey, March 30.  

In the March 28, 2017 letter, AHI President Nick Larigakis requested that Turkey’s provocations, which have created instability in the eastern Mediterranean and which are not in the best interests of the United States, be raised during Secretary Tillerson’s meetings with senior Turkish government officials.   Larigakis cited rising tensions in the Aegean and Turkey’s recent threat to Cyprus’ right to explore for natural gas within its exclusive economic zone as how Turkey has been a force of instability.

“I write to raise the Institute’s concern about rising tensions in the Aegean Sea between NATO allies Greece and Turkey, and separately, Turkey’s most recent threat to Cyprus’ sovereign right to explore for natural gas within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as you prepare for your visit to Turkey,” Larigakis wrote.

The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.

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For additional information, please contact Georgea Polizos at (202) 785-8430 or at[email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org and follow us on Twitter @TheAHIinDC.