An official from the US Defense Department stated that the US does not have a military base in the Greek city of Alexandroupoli but rather that the facility there is a Greek installation utilized within the framework of agreements between the two countries. The Defense Department official provided a written statement to an AA reporter regarding the news in the Greek press claiming that the US would close its base in Alexandroupoli. In the statement, the official used the phrase, “The US does not have a base in Alexandroupoli, it is a Greek facility to which the US has access under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement.” The official emphasized that the facility is solely used as a transit center for the entry and exit of US equipment to Europe, stating, “This is not a ‘base’ that the US will close.” Greek newspapers Dimokratia and Ta Nea had reported that US President Donald Trump had decided to close the American base in Alexandroupoli, suggesting in their coverage that the closure of the base could bolster Turkey’s influence over the Straits and enhance Ankara’s control over the region’s incoming and outgoing traffic following the end of the conflict in Ukraine. Ta Nea had also remarked in its report that if the US were to close the base in Alexandroupoli due to reducing support for Ukraine, countries like Greece would be negatively affected.