Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that while in office he was intensely concerned about the prospect of a Greek-Turkish military confrontation in the Aegean

Pompeo, in an interview with the daily Kathimerini, described Turkey as a regional “threat” and said that it will realise that it is much better for the country to remain close to the West.

Pompeo said he is enthusiastic about the recent US-Greece Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement and that Turkey is undermining security in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Danger of Aegean clash

Regarding Washington’s concerns over a possible Greek-Turkish military clash in the Aegean, the former Secretary of State said that, “You are always concerned when you have ships moving in dangerous areas. Accidents happen and there are things that neither of the two nations that have tense relations can resolve after that. I was always concerned about an accident that would lead to a vortex of reactions.”