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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis claimed on Thursday that Türkiye will not be able to participate in the European Union’s newly launched Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program as long as Ankara maintains its parliamentary declaration of casus belli—a justification for war—over Aegean maritime disputes.
Mitsotakis made the comments after talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, shortly after EU leaders met in Copenhagen to discuss strengthening Europe’s collective defense and supporting Ukraine.
The issue of Türkiye’s SAFE participation has become linked to wider debates over EU enlargement procedures. Some members have suggested replacing unanimity with qualified majority voting at certain stages of accession negotiations.
Mitsotakis, however, insisted that unanimity must remain for closing negotiation chapters and for final membership approval, Greek media reported.
This position allows Athens to continue using its veto power over Türkiye’s participation in SAFE or in future EU accession steps.
Athens has connected Türkiye’s SAFE ambitions to the unresolved question of territorial waters in the Aegean Sea. In 1995, the Turkish Grand National Assembly passed a resolution declaring that any extension of Greek territorial waters beyond six nautical miles would be treated as casus belli.
SAFE is a financial mechanism designed to provide up to €150 billion ($175.83 billion) in loans to EU member states to accelerate defense readiness. The framework also includes provisions for third-country participation, which Türkiye, a NATO member with an expanding defense sector, has expressed strong interest in pursuing.
By allowing non-member states to take part, Brussels created an opportunity for Ankara to align more closely with European defense projects. Türkiye views participation as a way to access financing while integrating further into the continent’s security architecture.
In recent years, Ankara has invested heavily in indigenous weapons development, naval modernization, and drone technology, gaining recognition within NATO and beyond.
Participation in SAFE is seen by EU policymakers as a potential way to tap into Türkiye’s expanding defense industry, bringing a NATO ally’s capabilities into European security planning and strengthening the bloc’s ability to respond to external threats.
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