Greece questions France over potential missile sale to Türkiye

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has asked the French Ambassador to Athens to disclose information about Paris’ willingness to sell METEOR missiles to Ankara.

The issue of the missile sale sparked strong reactions in Athens. ‘I expressed to the French Ambassador Greece’s strong opposition to such a possibility, which is incompatible with the hitherto excellent strategic relations between the two countries,’ Minister Dendias said after meeting with French Ambassador Laurence Auer.

The Greek ministry cited information suggesting that France was open to supplying Türkiye with the long-range METEOR air-to-air missiles used by the Greek air force on Rafale aircraft.

Greece has already purchased 24 Rafale fighter jets from France and is considering buying six more.

Türkiye is moving to fill the air power vacuum in the Aegean Sea due to Greece’s related purchases following its exclusion from the F-35 programme.

Unable to buy Rafale due to a mutual defense clause in the military agreement between Greece and France, Türkiye has turned to Eurofighter jets produced by a consortium of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

However, the main problem for Athens is that METEOR missiles, which can reach a target more than 100 kilometers away, can also be used by Eurofighters.

According to the Greek government, it is ‘contradictory’ for a producing country to sell weapons systems to two countries with which it has differences.

Meanwhile, La Tribune newspaper reported earlier this month that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would buy Eurofighter aircraft on condition that he also buy Meteor missiles to compete with the Greeks.

Sources in Athens stressed that Greece is supporting France in a difficult period by buying Rafale after Australia cancelled a 38 billion euro deal to buy French conventional submarines in 2021 as part of the AUKUS security agreement signed with the US and the UK.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a television interview last night that he had not been informed of France’s decision to supply METEORs to Türkiye.

However, the Greek leader said Ankara may have expressed interest and the defense minister may have acted ‘pre-emptively’ by contacting the French Ambassador.

Elysee had no comment on the matter.