AHI to President Obama: Place Cyprus, Aegean Sea, Ecumenical Patriarchate on Agenda with Turkish Prime Minister 

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) released a letter it sent today to President Barack Obama ahead of the president’s May 16, 2013 meeting with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The letter, authored by AHI President Nick Larigakis, presents a series of policy issues pertaining to the southeastern Mediterranean for President Obama to take into consideration in preparation for his meeting with Prime Minister Erdoğan. 

With the understanding that Syria, Iran, and the recent rapprochement between Turkey and Israel will all be high on the agenda of items to be discussed, AHI President Larigakis wrote, “Nevertheless, it would be counterproductive not to discuss with Prime Minister Erdogan Turkey’s provocative behavior in the southeastern Mediterranean that jeopardizes peace and stability in the region and is not in the best interests of the United States.”

The letter presents the “litany of problems” Turkey perpetuates in the southeastern Mediterranean that prevent stability and damage U.S. interests, including: the continuing occupation of Cyprus, its intransigence in solving the Cyprus problem, its refusal to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, its veto to the accession of Cyprus to international organizations, its continuing threats to block Cyprus from exploring in its EEZ, its continuing violations of Greece’s territorial waters and airspace in the Aegean Sea and continuing religious and human rights violations in Turkey.

“The issues and the recommendations for their successful resolution as presented in our letter are embodied within the fundamental principles of democracy, are founded on the rule of law, and are based on what is in the best interests of the United States,” concluded Larigakis.

• Please click here to read the letter (2.5 MB PDF).

The American Hellenic Institute is a non-profit Greek American think tank and public policy center 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 pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our Web site at https://www.ahiworld.org.