This old problem continues to cause problems:
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday Greece would not tolerate any challenge to its territorial integrity, days after Turkish and Greek coastguard vessels collided close to disputed islets in the Aegean Sea.
"Our message, now, tomorrow and always, is clear... Greece will not allow, accept or tolerate any challenge to its territorial integrity and its sovereign rights."
Turkey and Greece have long been enemies with territorial disputes long barely suppressed by their membership in NATO.
Greece is often given credit for exceeding the NATO floor of defense spending (2% of GDP), but Greece spends money not from holding NATO's missions in such high regard but from fear of Turkey.
Actually, as long as Greece remains in NATO, Turkey may not want to pull out of NATO--even if it distances itself from NATO--lest a dispute with Greece become an issue about the common defense of a NATO member.
And again, I hope we are selling reduced capability F-35s to Turkey and reducing intelligence sharing with Turkey. And I think it would be wise to withdraw our nuclear bombs from Turkish territory, and just aim to endure the Erdogan era in hopes that after him Turkey will return to being a solid non-Islamist ally.
