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Ankara condemns US spending bill's measures against Turkey

Turkey on Dec. 20 condemned the use of "negative language that targets Turkey" in a budget bill passed in the U.S. Congress.

"This is the latest outcome of the agenda pursued by Members of Congress who are bent on damaging our bilateral relations by any means," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a statement.

Is the US Congress coming through for Greece and Cyprus as it did in 1974?

Not since Turkey's aptly named "Operation Attila" - its 1974 invasion of Cyprus and its Srebrenica-style citizen executions and mass graves - have I seen a more just reaction from Capitol Hill. This time it's a reaction to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's acquisition of Russian S-400 missiles.

Shifting balances in Turkey

Things are happening in Turkey that are not entirely apparent to the rest of the world. The results of recent local elections which saw President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) lose control of Istanbul showed that the Turkish strongman's star is losing its luster. Meanwhile, there have been some as-yet tentative moves inside the party challenging his authority.

No time for mixed signals

We are entering a very thorny patch in Greek-Turkish relations. Turkey's activities within Cyprus' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), combined with the standoff with the United States over Ankara's acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system are increasing the tension further in Greece's wider region.

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