Greek Press Reports: Athens Cannot Prevent Sale of Eurofighter and Meteor to Turkey
According to reports in the Greek press, it is noted that preventing the sale of Eurofighter jets and Meteor missiles to Turkey through Athens’ efforts would be very difficult.
According to the leading Greek newspaper Kathimerini, during a visit to the UK earlier this week, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias discussed defense cooperation between Greece and the UK as well as the Eastern Mediterranean issue. The report mentioned that Dendias brought up the possibility of selling Meteor missiles to Turkey during his meeting with his British counterpart John Healey. The news emphasized the central role of the UK in communication with Turkey regarding the sale of Eurofighters, stating that reaching an agreement in this matter would also pave the way for the sale of Meteor missiles. The article mentioned that in the current situation, it is known in Athens that it is very difficult for the British government to be influenced. It pointed out that particularly since both the UK and Turkey are non-EU NATO members and seek more collaboration in defense industry, this makes it challenging.
“GREECE CONCERNED”
An article on the Newsit news portal titled “Greece Pressures Europeans Not to Sell Meteor Missiles to Turkey” stated that Turkey’s intentions to purchase Eurofighter jets and Meteor missiles have caused concern in Greece. The report mentioned that Greece is worried about the possibility of Turkey being included in the 5th generation F-35 program during Donald Trump’s presidency. The news stated, “Within this framework, Athens is trying to obstruct all of Ankara’s plans at all levels but the messages received do not leave much room for optimism. The top decision made is to exert great pressure on all relevant parties to prevent Turkey from acquiring the Eurofighter and Meteor package.”
“REVERSE ENGINEERING”
The article mentioned that Athens has warned its European allies that Turkey conducts “reverse engineering” on every weapon system it acquires, suggesting a similar process could be done for Meteor missiles. It was evaluated that in this way, Turkey may not need Western weapons and could become a competitor to the European defense industry in the global market. Additionally, the news included a statement that due to its potential to exceed 5 billion euros and strengthen the Eurofighter Typhoon jet production program, efforts to hinder Ankara’s plans are seen as extremely challenging.
