Big worry for Turkey’s Erdogan as its European neighbour to get lethal anti-ship missiles from…, Ankara on edge as …
New Delhi: France has dealt a blow to Recep Tayyip Erdogan by making a major deal with Turkey’s enemy. According to reports, Greece has signed an agreement to purchase 16 anti-ship missiles from France. Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced this on Monday, 14 April 2025. This is a significant defense agreement, as the dispute between Turkey and Greece continues to escalate. The agreement for the Exocet missiles was signed by Dendias and French Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu, who is on a visit to Athens. According to a Reuters report, the cost of the deal has not been disclosed.
The report further says that an agreement was signed between France and Greece in 2021. Under this deal, Greece agreed to purchase three French frigates and approximately 24 Dassault-made Rafale fighter jets. Additionally, Greece has stated that it will buy a fourth Belharra frigate and cruise missiles from France under a defense plan worth 25 billion euros to modernize its armed forces by 2036. Greece is making this defense deal to strengthen its defense capability against its neighbouring adversary Turkey.
Exocet missiles are designed to destroy warships. Their deployment will greatly enhance the striking capability of the Greek navy, enabling it to secure its maritime borders. Additionally, Greece has decided to spend £25 billion over the next decade to make its defense strategy more aggressive. This funding will involve substantial investments in artificial intelligence and advanced command capabilities. The goal is to equip the country’s military with weapons that can inflict severe damage on enemies, moving away from traditional armaments. It is worth noting that there has been a long-standing dispute between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Therefore, this defense deal between Greece and France could play a significant role in maintaining regional balance.
The Aegean Sea has dozens of small and large islands under the control of Greece. These islands are quite close to Turkey’s border. Turkey opposes this because Greece claims a 12-nautical-mile zone in the sea through these islands, whereas Turkey stands against it. Additionally, Greece claims that its airspace over the sea extends to 10 nautical miles, but Turkey only recognizes it as 6 nautical miles. This causes significant tension between the two countries.
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