President Donald Trump’s offer to Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets is also fueling concern in Greece, where officials fear such a move could undermine the military balance in the Aegean and reward Ankara despite years of tensions with its NATO ally.
Athens is scheduled to receive its first 20 F-35 fighter aircraft between 2028 and the early 2030s, making the stealth jet the centerpiece of Greece’s future air force.
“The Hellenic Air Force wants to keep its air superiority over the Aegean,” Vassilis Nedos, diplomatic and defense correspondent for Greece’s leading daily Kathimerini, told The Jerusalem Post. “The possibility of Turkey acquiring F-35s is certainly not a welcome one.”
Although Greek officials are not commenting publicly on the potential F-35 deal, Nedos said Athens has repeatedly communicated its concerns to successive US administrations.
“The opinions of the Greek government are very well known to the US government,” he said. “Greece cannot interfere directly because this is ultimately a discussion between two sovereign nations—the United States and Turkey—but Greece has certainly raised its concerns.”
Those concerns are rooted in years of military friction.
“Before 2023 there were daily overflights over Greek islands in the Aegean, daily violations, and very dangerous dogfights,” Nedos recalled.
“Why give a qualitative edge to the Turkish Air Force?” he asked.
“These arguments are very well known to the American administration—politically, diplomatically, and at the military staff level. They know our opinions very well.”
Greece pushes for military modernization deal with Israeli support
As questions remain over whether Turkey could eventually regain access to the F-35 program, Greece is pressing ahead with one of its largest defense modernization efforts in decades, with significant support from Israel.
Nedos said the Greek government is expected to move forward with approval of a new integrated air defense network, commonly known as the Achilles Shield, based on systems supplied by Israeli defense companies.
“In the coming days we will probably have developments in the Government Security Council and Parliament regarding the purchase of an air defense system from a combination of Israeli companies known as the Achilles Shield,” he said.
The €3.5 billion project will include anti-drone, anti-ballistic-missile, and broader air-defense capabilities.
“I think it will move forward, just as the purchase of the PULS rocket launchers and other systems has moved forward in recent years,” Nedos said.
The growing strategic partnership between Israel and Greece, he argued, extends beyond their shared concerns about Turkey.
“Of course, the security concern that Turkey poses for both Israel and Greece is a factor that solidifies the relationship between the two countries,” he said. “But I believe it is in the best interests of both countries to continue that ever-closer cooperation regardless of whether there was Turkey or no Turkey.”
Will Turkish-Greek relations improve?
Despite their long-running disputes, Greece has continued to pursue dialogue with Turkey.
“Any Greek government wants to resolve the pending issues with Turkey,” Nedos said, identifying maritime boundaries, exclusive economic zones, and the continental shelf as the main points of contention.
He also pointed to Ankara’s long-standing “gray zones” doctrine.
“Turkey always poses some peculiar theories,” he said. “One of them is the gray zones theory, according to which some islands in the Aegean—even inhabited ones—were supposedly never ceded to Greece in 1923 or, in the case of the Dodecanese, in 1947. So they dispute Greek sovereignty over these islands.”
Relations briefly improved following the devastating earthquakes that struck southern Turkey in 2023.
“A window of opportunity for discussion opened after the disastrous earthquakes in southern Turkey,” Nedos said. “Those events opened channels of communication that proved very useful after years of heightened tensions.”
Even so, he does not expect a diplomatic breakthrough anytime soon.
“With elections coming in Greece and possibly elections in Turkey in the near future as well, I think the possibility of meaningful discussions leading to something substantial is very distant.”
For now, Athens appears focused on strengthening its own deterrence while hoping Congress continues to block any effort to restore Turkey’s access to the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
Source:
www.jpost.com
