Greece’s Mitsotakis confirms efforts to block Türkiye’s Meteor missile acquisition

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has acknowledged that his government attempted to prevent the sale of Meteor missiles to Türkiye, stating that Greece is working to strengthen its defense industry in response to Türkiye’s military advancements.

Greece’s efforts to block Meteor missile sale to Türkiye

Mitsotakis, in an interview with Greek newspaper Kathimerini, confirmed that he raised the issue of stopping Türkiye’s acquisition of Meteor missiles during his recent meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

However, he admitted that his efforts were unsuccessful.

According to Greek media report, Macron informed Mitsotakis that blocking the sale was not feasible due to the involvement of a multinational consortium in the production of the Meteor missile system.

The advanced air-to-air missile is developed by MBDA, a defense consortium composed of six European nations: France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Failing to secure a commitment from France, Mitsotakis is now reportedly considering approaching other consortium members to explore alternative ways to halt the sale.

Türkiye-Greece relations and regional tensions

Beyond the missile deal, Mitsotakis addressed the broader context of Türkiye-Greece relations, acknowledging that while the two nations must collaborate on multiple fronts, he remains cautious.

“We must work together in many areas, but I am not naive,” Mitsotakis stated. “I believe in ‘calm waters,’ but at the same time, we are strengthening our defense industry and armed forces.”

Mitsotakis highlighted that Greece is closely monitoring Türkiye’s advancements in its domestic defense industry and that Athens is working to forge strong international alliances to maintain its strategic position in the region.

Macron-Mitsotakis meeting and defense policy

During his meeting with Macron, Mitsotakis emphasized Greece’s strategic cooperation with France on defense matters.

However, he refrained from disclosing further details about the discussion on Türkiye’s potential Meteor missile acquisition, citing the sensitivity of defense and foreign policy issues in Greek public discourse.

“I had a comprehensive discussion with Macron on strategic cooperation between our two nations. These topics, especially foreign and defense policies, are not suitable for public debate,” Mitsotakis said.

Despite his efforts, France has not signaled any intention to intervene in the sale, with reports indicating that Macron reaffirmed the strong defense ties between Paris and Athens but maintained that the consortium’s regulations made an export ban unlikely.

Future of Greek-Turkish relations

When asked whether Greece’s approach to Türkiye over the past two years had been overly optimistic, Mitsotakis maintained that Athens had been consistent in its policies.

“We never created false expectations,” he said. “We have always been clear about our red lines and have pursued a proactive policy with tangible results. Türkiye can engage with us by recognizing this reality.”

Mitsotakis pointed to recent diplomatic efforts, which have resulted in reduced tensions in the Aegean and increased economic and migration cooperation between the two countries.

He noted that such collaboration had led to positive developments, including increased tourism and enhanced bilateral crisis management mechanisms.