Dendias urges Berlin to halt sale of submarines to Ankara
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has urged Germany to halt the sale of Type 214 class submarines to Turkey, saying that the move would upset the existing power balance and enable Ankara to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean.
In an article in Die Welt newspaper, Dendias said that the German submarines – the Hellenic Navy currently has four such vessels – “give us a strategic advantage in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Aegean.”
“If Germany delivers [these vessels], Turkey will again have an advantage against Greece,” he said.
Ankara has ordered six Type 214 submarines.
In the same article, Dendias said that Germany’s “policy of appeasement” in dealing with Turkey had failed, a fact manifested by the fresh deployment of its Oruc Reis research vessel.
“This is why we proposed to the European Council to make it clear to Turkey that its violations of international law will have consequences,” he said.
