US Congressman Gus Bilirakis on Wednesday hailed President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to appoint Florida Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
He said he is “particularly encouraged by what Senator Rubio’s appointment will mean for US interests and alliances in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Bilirakis: Rubio will hold Turkey accountable
In a press announcement, the Greek-American politician expressed confidence that the “second Trump administration with Marco Rubio in charge of the State Department will continue to hold Turkish President Erdogan accountable, specifically by not letting Turkey back into the F-35 program due to its acquisition of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system.”
He noted that in his first presidency, Trump “held Turkey accountable for its violations of religious freedom against the Patriarchate and other religious minorities” and “was the first to impose sanctions against Turkey.”
Rubio, he said, “understands the threats posed by our adversaries and knows how to build consensus with our allies,” and was one of the signatories of the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act and the US-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act.
Rubio an architect of closer ties with Greece and Cyprus
Rubio is known as a key architect of the East Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act (EastMed Act), approved by Congress in 2019, which strengthened the political, energy and military relations between the US, Greece and Cyprus.
The EastMed Act foresaw an end to the prohibition on arms sales to the Republic of Cyprus; the establishment of a United States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center to facilitate energy cooperation among the US, Israel, Greece and Cyprus; Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance for Greece; increased International Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance for Greece, while also included Cyprus in the program for the first time.
“These initiatives strengthened the defense partnership between the United States and Greece, by supporting Greek military modernization and multilateral security efforts between Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States,” said Bilirakis.
“With Secretary Rubio in the new administration, we will continue to grow our defense and energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean and Southern Europe, specifically with LNG projects and greater connectivity for the region. A more connected and united Eastern Mediterranean will result in more prosperity, stability, and peace,” he added.
Gus Bilirakis was recently reelected in the 12th Congressional District of Florida. The Greek American lawmaker got more than 71% of the vote.
Turkey alarmed
The Florida senator’s nomination has already sparked concern in Ankara, particularly due to his past criticism of Turkey’s 2019 offensive in Syria, his opposition to Erdogan’s relationship with Maduro, and his characterization of Turkey’s government as authoritarian, alongside Russia, China, and Venezuela.
First to express concern was Devlet Bahceli, the ultranationalist government partner in Turkey, who said Trump would have to decide whether to “uphold international law” or support Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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