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U.S., Greece Still at Odds Over Bases as Latest Talks End

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From Reuters

The United States and Greece remain at odds over the future of U.S. military bases here after an eighth round of talks ended Friday, a Greek government spokesman said.

“There continues to be a difference of view,” the spokesman told reporters. A new round of talks will be held in September.

Greece has given formal notice that the present basing agreement will be terminated in December, giving the Americans 17 months to pack up and go home, unless a new pact is signed.

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The United States has four major bases in Greece, supplying the Air Force and Navy in the east Mediterranean, and numerous other installations. About 3,700 U.S. military personnel are stationed at the facilities.

The latest talks, which opened last November, are deadlocked over Athens’ insistence that Washington guarantee Greek national interests in the accord before moving on to technical matters.

In effect, Greece wants Washington to back it in a long-standing feud with neighboring Turkey over territorial rights in the Aegean and the divided island of Cyprus, where Turkey has about 20,000 troops.

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