Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron held talks Tuesday regarding the possible sale of Meteor air-to-air missiles to Turkey, a move that has raised concerns in Athens. Their meeting took place on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels and reportedly the climate was positive.
Mitsotakis requested details on the ongoing negotiations between Turkey and the European missile consortium MBDA, which are being mediated by the United Kingdom.
Macron confirmed the discussions but stressed that no final agreement with Turkey had been reached. He noted that an agreement with Turkey should not be considered a foregone conclusion.
The issue has drawn attention in Greece, given its deepening defense ties with France. Since 2021, Athens has procured 24 Rafale fighter jets, each equipped with Meteor missiles.
Additionally, Greece has ordered three French-built FDI frigates, with talks ongoing for a fourth.
The defense agreement between the two nations includes a mutual assistance clause, reinforcing their strategic partnership.
Mitsotakis and Macron are scheduled to meet again Monday in Paris at a summit on artificial intelligence. The meeting will also aim to entrench that Greek-French relations remain excellent despite all the fuss in recent days because of the Meteor missiles and their potential sale to Turkey.
While the primary focus will be on technological advancements, further security discussions are expected.
Meanwhile, Turkey is also pursuing the purchase of 40 Eurofighter jets, a deal backed by the UK but facing opposition from Germany, which does not mean however that Berlin won’t lift its objections at some moment in time.
With German elections set for February 23, political shifts in Berlin could impact Turkey’s defense acquisitions.