Newsletters
The Honorary Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, said Türkiye remains a threat to Greece and described it as “our enemy,” admitting that Athens lacks the necessary armed forces to confront it.
Floros made the remarks during an interview on Newsbomb’s “Meeting Point” program with Olga Tremi, where he discussed Greek-Turkish relations, the SAFE defense program, and Greece’s national defense industry.
“Türkiye’s claims have not weakened. It is trying to take without war what states take with war,” Floros said, recalling past tensions between the two countries.
He emphasized that the best way to deal with Türkiye’s actions in the region is to strengthen Greece’s own defenses. “We are on a pretty good track in terms of armaments,” he added.
Floros repeated his earlier comments made while commanding the 1st Army: “If the dog breaks its leash, we will put one on its head, and it will leave with its tail under its legs.”
Floros noted that Türkiye is not currently part of the European defense program SAFE, adding that as long as the casus belli remains, it will likely stay excluded. “There are ways to maintain the veto,” he said.
He also warned that decisions in such programs could still pass “artificially” through consensus if dissenting countries “step out for a coffee break.”
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias also commented at the 6th OT Forum in Athens, saying Türkiye’s rapid rise in the defense industry should serve as a “lesson” for Greece.
“Türkiye has achieved significant domestic production and billions in export capacity. We must learn and chart our own path,” Dendias said.
Floros admitted that Greece has fallen behind Türkiye in defense capabilities and industry. “We do not produce what we could or should produce,” he said. “Our defense industry exists only in name.”
He stressed the need for a strong, practical armament program to ensure national readiness, adding that armed forces exist “not to observe, but to be used.”
Floros described Türkiye as a revisionist power whose demands “states give through war.”
He warned that Greece must be ready to act “on the ground” and not just react to developments.
“In a crisis, the Greek response will not be limited,” he said. “If you do something to me at one point, I will wage a generalized war across the confrontation area, from Evros to Kastellorizo and beyond. This is the only way deterrence works.”
He concluded that while tensions have calmed slightly since the earthquakes, “we are not yet in calm waters.”
3 min read
