Turkey's missile ambitions spark tensions with Greece
Turkey is pursuing a contract to enhance its army with Meteor missiles. The Greek authorities are continuously attempting to block this effort, which involves making appeals to the countries that produce these weapons. Greek media speculate that once acquired, Turkey will reverse-engineer the Meteor missiles and leverage this knowledge to advance its defense industry.
Although both Greece and Turkey are NATO members, the relationship between these countries has been strained for many years. In 2022, the German daily "Die Welt" described the situation between Athens and Ankara as a "cold war in the Aegean Sea." In January this year, Greece received the last of 24 ordered French Rafale fighter jets, significantly bolstering its air force. Turkey, not wanting to fall behind, is actively seeking partners to discuss upgrading its armaments.
Turkey aims to acquire Meteor missiles
Currently, the Turkish authorities are focusing, among other things, on upgrading their F-16s and continue tough negotiations with the United States regarding the F-35. Another option they are considering is acquiring Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
According to information from the Greek portal eKathimerini, Turkey has taken steps to facilitate negotiations by linking the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoons with Meteor missiles. From a technical perspective, this is a sensible move, as these jets are among the few aircraft equipped to carry such missiles (interestingly, the Rafale jets acquired by Greece can do this as well).
The Greeks are opposed to the Turkish air force being strengthened in this manner. Back in January, the Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced that he met with the French Ambassador Laurence Auer. During their discussion, he requested that official information be provided to Greece regarding the sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey.
Reverse engineering concerns over Meteor missiles
Greek media have taken the matter further, asserting that Turkey intends to use the acquisition of Meteor missiles not only to directly boost its air force but also to disassemble the missile and replicate certain technologies to improve their Gökhan missiles, whose development started in 2021 but remains largely under wraps.
According to findings from TRT World, French President Emmanuel Macron has denied the Greek authorities' request to block the sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey. He highlighted that this weapon is produced not only by France but also by the European MBDA consortium, which includes the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. The Greeks are now expected to submit similar requests to the governments of all these nations.
The Meteor is a modern air-to-air missile weighing approximately 190 kilograms. It provides a range of about 200 kilometres and offers outstanding maneuverability in the final phase of flight, thanks to the inclusion of an additional ramjet engine.
