Greek-Turkish relations are at a critical juncture due to escalating tensions on the part of Turkey in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Turkish tensions are an integral part of neo-Ottomanism that is the vision of modern Turkish foreign policy, which aims to make Turkey a leading regional power in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Balkans by re-establishing its limits of influence and vitality in areas of the former Ottoman Empire.

by Antonia Dimou

Asked about the prospect of Moscow playing the role of mediator between Athens and Ankara, but also about how it sees Russia's role in the region, Mr. Pyatt replied: "With skepticism. "I have spent a lot of time in recent years here and in Ukraine watching Russia's efforts to sow division within NATO, to sow division between the United States and Europe."

Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Penn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) today introduced two resolutions to require Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to detail Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s human rights abuses throughout the south Caucasus, within their own countries, and, in Turkey’s case, in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. The resolutions also require information on what role U.S. security assistance may be playing in these abuses to inform whether the United States should restrict or end security assistance and arms sales to those countries. Both resolutions invoke statutory authority under section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA).