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Greece’s greatest military ambitions in nearly two decades came at a time when the country is at odds with Turkey over the influence of hydrocarbon resources and the navy off the coast of those states. Disagreements between the two NATO countries have involved other European countries, raising concerns about an even more serious conflict.
“It is time to strengthen our army … These initiatives will be part of a serious program that will become our national shield,” the Greek prime minister said in a speech in north Thessaloniki.
According to Micotakio, Greece plans to acquire 18 French Rafale fighters, multi-role frigates and four naval helicopters. In addition, the country intends to 15 thousand. increase the number of troops and allocate resources to the national arms and cyber defense industry.
In addition, the purchase of new anti-tank weapons, naval torpedoes and missiles is planned, the prime minister said.
This is possibly the most ambitious military transformation in Greece in almost twenty years.
More information on the cost of the arms acquisition program will be released on Sunday at a press conference, a government source told AFP.
The last time Greece made such large purchases for its army was in the early 1990s, when it agreed to or was interested in acquiring German tanks and submarines, American fighter jets, and Russian amphibious missiles and vehicles.
However, at that time, most of those plans were abandoned due to the high cost of hosting the 2004 Athens Olympics.
French connection
Such a program is expected to be implemented following talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting of southern European leaders in Corsica last week.
Unlike other EU and NATO allies, France, like Cyprus, strongly supports Greece in its escalating conflict with Turkey. Macron has already warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to cross the “red lines” and has also sent warships and fighter jets to the region.
French Defense Minister Florence Parly has already welcomed the arms deal, noting that this is the first time that European countries have bought Rafale fighters.
Micotakis has previously said that NATO’s position not to side with any country in this conflict is “very unfair.”
In August, Turkey sent a reconnaissance ship and a small fleet to conduct seismic surveys in waters that Greece considers to belong to it under postwar treaties.
Greece responded by dispatching its warships and conducting naval exercises with various allies from the EU and the United Arab Emirates. On Saturday, Micotakis said Turkey was “threatening” Europe’s eastern border and “undermining” regional security.
In an article published this week in The Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Le Monde, the Greek prime minister reiterated his desire to dialogue with Turkey if it stops acting “as a provocateur.”
“We need dialogue, but not with a gun pointed at us,” wrote Micotakis. “If we cannot reach an agreement, we will have to go to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.”
The EU’s head of Diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has said that if a negotiated agreement with Turkey is not reached, the bloc could draw up a list of sanctions at a European summit on September 24-25.
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