Greece unhappy at Spain-Turkey defence deal amid tensions within NATO
Europe in Review
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have agreed to boost collaboration in the defence industry, a move that prompted criticism from the Greek government and underlined disunity between NATO member states.
The defence deal in November came amid long-standing territorial disputes between the Greek and Turkish governments, and jockeying between France and Spain for influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
A spokesperson for the Greek government, Yannis Economou, voiced dissatisfaction with the defence agreement, specifically with fellow EU member Spain.
However, Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, reassured his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias that Spain's solidarity with EU member states is “beyond doubt.” Albares is preparing to visit Athens to provide “clarifications” about the defence agreement with Turkey, the Spanishforeign ministry said on 19 November. [Ekathimerini]
In August last year, Greece and Turkey, which are both part of NATO, nearly came to hostilities over their opposing claims to the Eastern Mediterranean. [Al Jazeera]
In 2020, Dendias sent letters to his counterparts from Spain, Italy and Germany, asking them to impose an arms embargo on Ankara. He requested that they do not allow exports to Turkey of military equipment such as aircraft, submarines, frigates and specific armour upgrades. Italy and Spain are the main European weapon suppliers to Turkey. [Euractiv]
The deal between Spain and Turkey comes after a recent France–Greece agreement, in which the latter two countries ratified a mutual defence pact. The agreement promises mutual assistance if one party comes under attack by a third country, even if the third party belongs to NATO. [Al Jazeera]
The Turkish government said the security and defence deal between Paris and Athens “threatens to harm the NATO alliance.” Meanwhile, the extension of a military defence and cooperation deal between the United States and Greece was received without enthusiasm in Ankara. Turkey has been excluded from buying hi-tech US F-35 fighter jets because it bought Russian S-400 air defence systems in 2019.
(ka/pk)
