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Daily Sabah (20 May 2025)

Greek media outlets reported on Monday that Athens was seeking to curb Türkiye’s involvement in Europe’s defense industry, citing that their Foreign Ministry instructed ambassadors in European countries to raise the issue.

Although Türkiye and Greece pursue rapprochement in their formerly hostile relations, Athens also works to bolster its defenses by new acquisitions, while Türkiye’s flourishing defense industry raises its profile, especially with sales of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to other countries and boosting its military arsenal with locally-made products. Ankara and Athens are particularly at odds on their maritime borders in the Aegean Sea, which has been the venue for dogfights between Turkish and Greek fighter jets in the past.

According to reports by the Greek media, Athens is worried about the anticipated adoption of the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) regulation by the EU’s General Affairs Council later this month. EU countries already agreed on the plan in principle on Monday. Under the approved part of the regulation, joint defense procurement of the bloc may include third countries not members of the EU, such as Türkiye. [...]

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