Athens (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Greece has cautioned Turkey that it might restrict Turkish access to an EU defence fund unless Ankara assures that the weapons will not be directed at Athens.
Historic tensions exist between Greece and Turkey, mainly over sovereignty in the Aegean Sea, and more recently over energy exploration and migration issues.
Turkey, a NATO member but not an EU member, is technically eligible to participate in EU defence industry funding and joint procurement programmes through the bloc’s 150-billion-euro Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said late Wednesday that Greece would cut Turkey out of the defence agreement only if Turkey continued with their threatening war and infringements of Greece’s territorial sovereignty in the Aegean Sea.
“Greece will not allow it,”
Said the conservative PM in an interview with Skai TV.
Turkey has a longstanding threat of war regarding Greece’s unilateral extension of its territorial waters in the Aegean. Mitsotakis said all 27 EU members would need to consent before Turkey receives access to the SAFE funds.
“Unanimity is required,”
He stressed.
Why is Greece opposing Turkey’s access to the SAFE funds?
Greek PM’s remarks came hours after Germany announced approval for delivering Eurofighter jets to Turkey. Turkey had been negotiating for years to buy 40 of these aircraft, built by a consortium from Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain.
The Typhoon jets will be manufactured in Britain, with London leading the negotiations. All consortium members need to approve the sale, and Germany, which has had disagreements with Turkey over Israel’s conflict in Gaza, has objected so far.
Following Germany’s approval of the sale, the Turkish and British defence ministers signed a preliminary agreement in Istanbul on Wednesday to proceed with the jet delivery.
Mitsotakis said that while Greece could, if deemed necessary, block Turkey from accessing SAFE funds, it could not actually prevent the Eurofighter deal. It could, however, set conditions.
- “Turkey is a large country with a strong defence industry,”
He said.
“And if someone believes they can block any purchase of defence equipment by Turkey, they are deeply ignorant. It has never happened. It cannot happen.
“What can happen, however, is that we make our European allies aware that there will be contingencies and conditions regarding the way these aircraft will be delivered, potentially used, and supported in the future,”
He stated.
What is the EU SAFE initiative, and who can join?
The EU has also launched a range of initiatives, including drawing up to €800 billion, as a means of helping its member states reinforce their defences.
SAFE is a € 150 billion financing initiative to increase European defence capabilities and reduce reliance on NATO and the U.S. The programme offers low-interest loans for procurement and can be expanded to involve third countries with which the EU has defence and security partnerships, including Turkey.
How do Aegean Sea disputes fuel defence tensions?
The conflict between Turkey and Greece endured into 2025 and is primarily concerned with territorial disputes regarding the Aegean Sea and geopolitical disputes that preceded the current dispute. Turkey submitted a maritime spatial plan asserting more than half of the Aegean Sea as within its marine influence, which Greece has categorically condemned as an illegal violation of international law.
Greece alleged that Turkey has encroached on Greek jurisdiction. There are continual ship incidents between the countries regarding maritime issues, which can result in disagreements about maritime boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). The complication is Turkey’s maritime agreement with Libya, which creates an overlap.
