Greek Foreign Minister Vows Strong Response to Turkish Maritime Provocations

Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis warned on August 24 that Greece is prepared to respond decisively to any Turkish actions infringing on its sovereign rights amid rising tensions over maritime activity in the region. In an interview with Greek TV channel OPEN TV, Gerapetritis emphasized that Athens will fully exercise its sovereign rights and respond to provocations from a position of strength. When asked about the possibility of Turkey deploying warships, he confirmed Greece’s readiness to send frigates and F-16 fighter jets, and noted plans to deploy F-35 jets starting next year. He cited Greece’s demonstrated military capabilities in Cyprus and the broader Middle East as evidence of its strengthened position.

Despite the firm stance, Gerapetritis stressed that Greece will maintain communication channels with Turkey, highlighting that dialogue with neighbors, even those with whom Greece has disputes, has yielded positive results. He also underscored Greece’s regional alliances, particularly the trilateral partnerships with Israel and Cyprus and close ties with the United States, which enhance Athens’ security capabilities.

The Greek minister pointed out that during the past three years of what he called "quiet waters," Greece avoided accepting Turkish-imposed realities and instead improved its regional standing. The growing security cooperation between Greece and Israel was highlighted as part of this strategic strengthening, with recent joint air exercises and ongoing negotiations for a major defense deal involving Israeli air defense systems and Elbit’s PULS systems worth billions of shekels. Greek sources noted that military collaboration with Israel is expected to become more robust and transparent following a cooling period during the recent conflict, with the defense deal anticipated to conclude before Greece’s 2027 elections.