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Turkey Accuses Greece of Seeking Military Superiority

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The purchase of Rafale fighters and new frigates by Greece has alarmed Turkey. Credit: AMNA

Turkey accused Greece on Friday of seeking to achieve military superiority in the eastern Mediterranean, describing Athens’ ambition as “futile.”

“This is not an arms race but showing off weapons. They are striving for superiority against Turkey through armament by the encouragements and provocations of some countries. This is a futile effort,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said according to Turkish daily Hurriyet.

Speaking at a meeting with Turkey’s military commanders, Akar also criticized Greece for building alliances with some NATO allies, and reiterated that those were futile as well.

Greece deal to buy French weapons alarms Turkey

He referred to a recent military and defense industry deal between Greece and France that paved the way for the latter to sell a significant quantity of weapons to the Greek armed forces.

Greece and France signed a deal in September, according to which Greece will buy three advanced frigates, with an option for a fourth, and a delivery date of between 2025 and 2026. The frigates will also be compatible with the jets Greece is also purchasing from France. It has already ordered some 24 Dassault-made Rafales this year.

Turkey is also seeking to upgrade its armed forces, raising fears of an arms race in the Aegean. In October it emerged that Ankara had asked to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets from the US to upgrade its Air Force.

Turkey had ordered more than 100 F-35 jets, which are also made by Lockheed Martin, but was removed from the program in 2019 after it acquired Russian S-400 missile defense systems.

Akar claimed that Turkey wants the two countries to resolve their differences in the eastern Mediterranean within the framework of international law and good neighborly relations through negotiations, dialogue, peaceful ways and methods.

“Unfortunately, certain politicians in Greece continue their aggressive actions and rhetoric without stop. They want to portray Turkey as expansionist by fake claims,” he said, according to the Hurriyet report.

The Turkish minister brought as an example of Greek intransigence the status of Kastellorizo, which he said is just two kilometers away from the Turkish mainland with a 10 square kilometer area, but Athens demands around 40,000 square kilometers of maritime sovereignty for it.

“When we say ‘No’ to this, then they blame us for being expansionist. We expect them to understand that they cannot reach anything with these actions and rhetoric,” Akar underlined.

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