ATHENS — Greece is coming under growing pressure from its European partners to drop objections to Türkiye’s participation in the European Union’s new 150 billion-euro ($175 billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, according to Greek daily Kathimerini.
Germany is reportedly leading the push, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expected to raise the issue directly during a visit to Athens on October 13. The visit comes ahead of a November 30 deadline for countries seeking loans through SAFE, a defense initiative aimed at boosting Europe’s collective military readiness.
The matter has become a test of Greece’s diplomatic balancing act between European solidarity and its decades-long tensions with Ankara.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who recently met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, reportedly reiterated Greece’s firm stance: no approval for Türkiye’s participation while disputes in the Aegean Sea remain unresolved.
Athens and Ankara have long been at odds over maritime boundaries and airspace claims. The dispute intensified in the 1990s, when Greece’s plan to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles prompted Türkiye to issue a casus belli, a declaration that such a move would be a cause for war.
According to Kathimerini, nearly all other EU members favor Türkiye’s inclusion, citing its position as NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly expanding defense industry. Only France and the Greek Cypriot administration reportedly side with Greece, while several Scandinavian nations have signaled support for Ankara.
SAFE, approved by EU leaders in May, is a cornerstone of the bloc’s ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan, which seeks to mobilize over 800 billion euros in defense investment.
