eKathimerini — An ongoing crisis between Turkey and its NATO allies in the West regarding the use of the Incirlik airbase, in the country’s southeast, is fueling speculation about an upgraded role for the alliance’s base at Souda Bay on Crete.
Sources have told Kathimerini that the Souda Bay base is being used a lot more than it was in the past and that activities at the base are being extended.
A so-called mutual defense cooperation agreement between Greece and the US, which provides for the operation of a US naval support facility at Souda Bay and is renewed annually, is likely to be upgraded into a five-year agreement, sources have suggested.
There are fears, however, that occasional tensions between Washington and Ankara might spill over into the Aegean, often used by Turkey for attempted shows of force.
At the same time a new spat between Germany and Turkey regarding visiting rights to Incirlik has encouraged reports that Germany is considering withdrawing its soldiers from Turkey and relocating planes supporting the campaign against the Islamic State group elsewhere in the region.
