Türkiye is not going to take advantage of European loans or the bloc’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program if it “does not show practical examples of improving its relations with Greece,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday.
In an interview with Greece’s OEMA newspaper, Mitsotakis said he repeated that: “if Türkiye does not stop promoting the non-existent theory of gray zones, it will not enter the European Union's cheap loan program.”
Türkiye, which is a member of NATO but not the EU, is technically eligible to access EU defense industry financing and joint procurement programs as part of the bloc's 150-billion-euro ($176-billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative.
He said that he himself worked to strengthen the Greek Armed Forces, meanwhile. “In a year from now, we will have three ultramodern frigates. We succeeded with Türkiye and overturned the balance in the air, and we have a significant strategic advantage.”
“In terms of bilateral relations, we can do less. In terms of the EU's relations with Türkiye, we can do much more. And we have already done so,” he added.
Mitsotakis previously mentioned these statements last week on Skai TV. Mitsotakis pointed out that all 27 EU members would have to agree before Türkiye could access SAFE funds.
"Unanimity is required," he stressed.
His comments came hours after Germany said it had approved the delivery of Eurofighter jets to Türkiye.
Türkiye had been in talks for several years on buying 40 of the aircraft, which are constructed by a consortium from Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain.
After a long period of tensions marked by disputes over irregular migration, the Cyprus dispute, energy exploration and territorial sovereignty in the Aegean, Türkiye and Greece have been taking confidence-building steps for a fragile normalization of their relations, which moved into a new chapter with Erdoğan’s landmark visit to Athens in 2023. During the visit, the sides announced a friendship declaration, visa facilitation for Turkish citizens to visit 10 Greek islands in the northern Aegean, and a decrease in the flow of irregular migrants to Greece.
Tensions rose again recently with Athens’ new move raising further disputes.
Earlier this year, Greece released a marine spatial planning map, which Türkiye said violates its maritime jurisdiction in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
