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Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias reportedly criticized Türkiye following recent visits to Ankara by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, expressing dissatisfaction with the growing engagement between Western countries and Türkiye.
During an event organized by the Greek newspaper Naftemporiki, Dendias argued that the interests of the Western world are incompatible with those of Türkiye. He voiced concern over Türkiye’s foreign policy and recent defense agreements.
Responding to questions at the event, Dendias accused Türkiye of pursuing a foreign policy based on a “Neo-Ottoman” mindset, threatening Greece with war, and maintaining an “occupation” in Cyprus.
He also expressed frustration with the Eurofighter deal signed between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Starmer, as well as the recent visit by Merz to Ankara.
Dendias said he would not dictate Germany’s foreign policy but questioned the alignment between London and Ankara.
“Just a few days ago, I asked the British whether London and Ankara share the same worldview, the same hopes, and the same expectations,” he stated.
The defense minister announced that Greece is developing counter-drone technologies to respond to Türkiye’s drone production.
“According to our information, Türkiye has produced more than 1 million UAVs to date. This is an impressive figure,” he said, adding that Greece had developed the Kentavros system to counter Türkiye’s Bayraktar drones.
“Every country that buys drones from Türkiye has a rival, and that rival can obtain Kentavros, which is the most effective system against the Bayraktar in the world. So far, two countries have shown interest,” Dendias added.
GMerz’s visit to Türkiye was widely covered by European media outlets.
German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk highlighted the meeting with the headline “First Visit to Erdogan: Chancellor Merz Calls for Deeper European Cooperation with Türkiye,” emphasizing Türkiye’s growing geopolitical influence and its importance as a NATO and EU partner.
Bild published a headline reading “Germans and Turks: Are We Friends Again?” noting President Erdogan’s reference to Merz as a “dear friend.”
FAZ wrote, “Chancellor in Ankara: There Is No Escape from Erdogan,” stressing that Germany needs Türkiye and that cooperation is inevitable despite disagreements.
Deutsche Welle reported that “Germany and Türkiye Renew Bilateral Relations Despite Gaza Dispute.”
Austria’s Kurier and Israel’s Israel Hayom focused on President Erdogan’s remarks during the press conference, where he described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and criticized Germany for ignoring it.
Greek media viewed the visit differently. Alphanews ran the headline “Türkiye One Step Closer to Eurofighter,” linking the Merz-Erdogan meeting to progress in Türkiye’s Eurofighter Typhoon purchase plans.
Europost described Merz’s visit as one that “put Greece in danger” by enabling closer Turkish-German defense cooperation.
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