Defense Minister Nikos Dendias is preparing to present, within the next few days, a twelve-year defense package designed to strengthen and modernize the country’s defense capabilities.
DEFENSE
Russia is “surprised” that Turkey continues to supply Ukraine with weapons while trying to act as a mediator in the conflict between the two countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Hurriyet newspaper.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country aimed to have its own “Steel Dome” multi-layered air defense system soon, adding that Ankara would also increase its long-range missile capabilities.
Greece will further bolster security along its Evros border with Turkey by hiring an additional 150 border guards, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis has said. These new recruits, supplementing the 450 guards hired over the past two years, will be stationed to support the second line of defense.
The Hellenic National Defense General Staff has documented 106 incidents of Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) violations by Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles and maritime patrol aircraft since August.
Greece and France are engaged in talks to enhance collaboration between their ground forces, building on the strong defense relationship between the two nations.
Greece is set to assume naval command of Operation Aspides, an EU military mission launched in response to missile and drone attacks, since last November, on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who view Israel as an enemy.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned a deadly attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries facilities in Ankara earlier in the day, with a post on social media X.
A deadly attack was carried out at the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ headquarters near Ankara on Wednesday, the government said, as broadcasters showed footage of several armed assailants entering the building amid reports of gunfire and a loud explosion.
Senior military sources have interpreted Ankara’s attempt to acquire at least one squadron of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft as an effort by Turkey to restore its air force balance with Greece.
The chief spokesperson for the Turkish president’s office on Sunday denied claims by the main opposition CHP party suggesting that Turkey is prepared to take back asylum seekers from Germany in exchange for Berlin approving Ankara’s request for Eurofighter jets.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that a project to possibly supply Turkey with Eurofighter jets was an effort being driven by Britain and was in the early stages.
Greece has declined a request from the Baltic nations – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – to participate in air patrols over their airspace, citing its current obligations in the Balkans.
The Greek-Ukraine security cooperation agreement that Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Thursday is part of a matrix of bilateral agreements aimed at supporting Ukraine while NATO puts off the country’s accession to the alliance.
Germany is demanding written guarantees from Turkey to ensure that Eurofighter Typhoon jets, worth $5.6 billion, won’t be used to violate Greek airspace.
Turkey will conduct a naval exercise in the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea between October 21 and 25, Turkish Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk said on Thursday.
[nx_login_form]x
