Turkish media reacts to Greece’s decision not to privatise the port of Alexandroupolis

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Monday his government’s decision to cancel its plan to privatise the port of Alexandroupolis due to geostrategic concerns, and Turkish media certainly reacted to this news in their usual unique way.

“Greece is stopping the privatisation of the port of Alexandroupolis, which they see as an alternative solution to the Bosporus Strait and claim that it can make Turkey ineffective for NATO,” commented an article in the Hurriyet newspaper.

Pointing out that Alexandroupolis is a “Symbol of US-Greece rapprochement”, the publication noted that the operation of the port as a supply base for NATO forces makes it valuable for the Greek government.

They also noted that Greece plans to turn the port into an energy hub by installing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LNG) facilities.

“Greece abandoned the ‘Alexandroupolis’ project. New agenda: military equipment from the USA and a common front with France,” is the title of a publication of the pro-government newspaper Sabah.

They also commented that Athens aimed to privatise the largest port of Thrace, “which the USA seeks to make as an alternative solution to the Straits,” Sabah added.

“As a reason for abandoning the plan to sell the port of Alexandroupolis to foreign companies, the Russia-Ukraine war is cited,” the publication noted, stating that economic, defence and energy factors were taken into account in the decision.

Sabah writes that: “new military helicopters will be sent to Alexandroupolis, which is currently used by the US, England, Italy and Spain for military missions.”

“The US sent 51 armored combat vehicles last July,” the outlet wrote, adding that 40 to 50 US UH60A Black Hawk helicopters will arrive in Greece in the next period, which will replace the existing UH1s.

The publication also mentions the end of the cooperation between Greece and France for the acquisition of new warships, on the occasion of the launching ceremony of the first Belharra frigate of the French Navy, in the presence of the Greek Minister of Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos.