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Türkiye's expanding defense industry partnerships with Spain and Italy have become a source of concern for Greece, according to Greek media reports analyzing the deepening military cooperation between the three nations.
The Athens-based Kathimerini claims that Türkiye's strengthening ties with two major southern European powers has created anxiety for Greece, particularly regarding defense industry collaborations that span multiple sectors from aircraft carriers to fighter jets.
Türkiye has crowned its long-standing relationship with Madrid through the joint design of a National Aircraft Carrier (MUGEM), according to Kathimerini. The newspaper claimed that this project signals a shift in Turkish naval doctrine toward projecting power far from its shores.
Greek media reminded readers that Türkiye's TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship was based on the Spanish Juan Carlos class design, illustrating the depth of bilateral defense cooperation.
Spain's backing of Türkiye's military modernization became evident in the Eurofighter procurement deal. As a co-producer of the Eurofighter aircraft, Spain accounts for approximately 13% of total production, with the remainder shared between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany.
Kathimerini reported that Spain agreed to delay its own scheduled deliveries to enable faster delivery of aircraft to Türkiye. Regarding delivery numbers, the newspaper stated: "It should not be forgotten that of the total 40 Eurofighter combat aircraft in Türkiye, 28 will be new and the joint venture can produce approximately 20 per year."
"Türkiye will receive 12 second-hand aircraft from Oman and Qatar's existing Eurofighter fleet within 2026, while 28 new aircraft are expected to begin delivery to the Turkish Air Force from 2028 onwards," Greek media reported.
Spain also serves as an important partner for Türkiye in transport and general-purpose aircraft through Airbus facilities on the Iberian Peninsula.
Greek media reported that "Ankara signed contracts for a total of 7 Airbus A-330 aircraft worth €2.5 billion ($2.91B) and 10 A-400M transport aircraft worth €2.8 billion ($3.26B) supported by the Spanish to be added to its existing fleet."
The cooperation extends to helicopter production, with Türkiye, Spain, and Italy collaborating on T625 Gokbey helicopter manufacturing through partnerships involving Turkish companies TAI, TEI, LHTEC, Aselsan, Spanish CESA, and Italian Avio Aero.
At the IDEF 2025 Fair held last July, TAI signed an agreement with Airbus for Hurjet exports to Spain. Greek media reported on the development: "The Spanish recently signed a contract to supply Türkiye with a total of 24 Hurjet aircraft to replace their aging Northrop SF-5M training aircraft."
"Ankara's relationship with Rome is equally important, especially in terms of the conditions it creates for Türkiye's participation in European defense," Greek media claimed, examining Baykar's acquisition of Italian Piaggio Aerospace and partnerships with defense giant Leonardo.
Piaggio Aerospace's production of systems like the P.180 Avanti EVO and the UAV variant P.1HH Hammerhead could significantly assist Baykar, Türkiye's "champion" in unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the report.
Kathimerini also highlighted that Baykar's cooperation agreement with Italian defense and aerospace giant Leonardo represents an even more important development for Türkiye: "With this agreement, an Italy-based partnership will be established (LBA Systems) and the development, production and maintenance of UAVs will be targeted."
"For the Turkish side, this partnership opens doors to Europe, because Leonardo is already part of various major defense partnerships and, more importantly, provides access to the UAV market within the E.U., which is expected to reach €100 billion within the next 10 years," Greek media reported.
Greek media noted that Turkish companies' activities in Italy extend beyond single acquisitions and partnerships. Turkish ammunition company ARCA Defense purchased Italian Esplodenti Sabino, while agreements were signed between MKE and Italian MES for heavy weapon ammunition production in various calibers.
Italian Magnaghi Aerospace and ASFAT also agreed on joint production of parts and components for aircraft, the report stated.
The extensive cooperation outlined in Greek media reports reflects what appears to be strategic relationships for Italy and Spain with Türkiye, though the analysis noted this occurs "without taking into account that Ankara actively threatens two E.U. member states."
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