As reports emerged last month that Ankara is set to acquire a new generation of European-made missiles, Greece moved quickly to try and scuttle the deal, which would give Türkiye a critical edge in aerial supremacy.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Paris AI Summit last week to pressure Paris to backtrack and veto the sale of Meteor missiles to Türkiye.

The response, however, wasn’t what the Greek leadership had hoped for. Macron denied the veto, stating that the MBDA consortium deal was beyond France's sole jurisdiction. The long-range air-to-air missiles are developed by the European consortium MBDA — which includes the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

For Ankara, the missiles are part of its strategy to modernise its defence.

“If Meteor missiles are integrated into Turkish Air Force inventory alongside a modern, up-to-date Eurofighter model, Türkiye will be able to intercept and deter potential threats, especially those posed by its overseas neighbours, from longer distances,” Istanbul-based defence analyst Kubilay Yildirim tells TRT World.

The Turkish Defence Ministry has recently confirmed that the advanced missiles are part of Türkiye’s deal to purchase up to 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

If completed, this deal could shift the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond, analysts say.

Greek outrage

In recent years, Greece has enjoyed robust support from its Western allies, in stark contrast to Türkiye’s struggles to procure F-35 fighter jets and modernise its F-16 fleet.

This backing has fuelled Greece’s military buildup, including the acquisition of 24 French-made Rafale fighter jets — a fleet now fully delivered — and upgrades to its F-16 fleet. It has also secured a deal to buy F-35 stealth fighters.

“Greece's acquisition of Rafael aircraft and its ability to equip them with Meteor missiles gave it an advantage over Türkiye. But with Ankara's procurement of Eurofighter Typhoons and Meteor missiles, Greece will find itself at a disadvantage again,” Yildirim explains.

The Eurofighter can fly to higher altitudes and reach greater speeds than the Rafale. Equipped with radar-guided Meteor missiles, it gives Türkiye an edge over Greek airpower, analysts say.

But why is Athens alarmed by Türkiye, a NATO ally that also holds EU candidate status, strengthening its military arsenal?

Misguided threat perception

“Türkiye is a NATO member, and Greece is also a NATO member. How can one NATO member be considered a threat to another? It’s unbelievable,” Cihat Yayci from Istanbul’s Topkapi University tells TRT World, pointing to a paradox in Athens’ alarmism.

Yayci suggests Greek panic over Türkiye’s defence capabilities reveals that Athens views Ankara not as an ally or neighbour but as a competitor and potential adversary.

However, according to Yayci — a former rear admiral in the Turkish navy — Ankara does not share this hostile sentiment. “In fact, we seek the prosperity of our neighbour. This is a Turkish tradition,” he adds.

From Türkiye’s perspective, acquiring Eurofighter Typhoon jets and Meteor missiles is not an act of aggression, but a means of safeguarding national interests, ensuring airspace security, and responding to regional instability.

With the Middle East plagued by Israel’s war on Gaza and subsequent attacks on Lebanon, Iran and Syria, Ankara sees bolstering its defences as a strategic necessity.

Defence interests vs Greek pressure

Greece’s strong disapproval of military support for Türkiye has sparked tensions in Europe, as major players like France seek to balance their defence industry interests with diplomatic ties to Athens.

France, party to a 2021 defence deal with Greece, has faced much of the backlash, with Greek officials pressuring Paris to backtrack and veto the sale. But their efforts have hit a wall with Macron’s refusal.

Defence analyst Yildirim points to a change in the tides of the Eastern Mediterranean.

So far, France has openly sided with Greece on the Eastern Mediterranean issue, and swiftly dispatched weapons systems to Athens, including the Rafale jets and Meteor missiles, he recalls.

However, Yildirim suggests Macron’s latest stance reveals France’s reluctance to “jeopardise relations with Türkiye, a nation with significant political and manufacturing power, for Greece, which holds less strategic weight.”

While most of the backlash has been directed at Paris, other EU nations, including Italy, have also faced Greek ire, following Turkish drone producer Baykar’s acquisition of Italian defence giant Piaggio Aerospace.

With France's refusal to intervene regarding the Meteor missiles, Greece now plans to lobby other MBDA consortium members to block their sale to Türkiye.

What’s next?

As Greek pressure continues, whether Athens will influence the final decision remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: Türkiye has its indigenous defence industry to turn to.

“As we have always stated, our priority is domestic and national weapons and systems. In this context, we also aim to strengthen our Air Force with the GOKHAN air-to-air missile, which we are currently developing as an equivalent to the Meteor missile,” Turkish defence ministry sources stressed in an official debrief last week.

GOKHAN’s external design closely resembles the Meteor missiles, particularly in air intake positioning. However, its rear fins are notably shorter, indicating an optimisation for the internal weapon bay, according to Türkiye Today.

Sharing the same ramjet propulsion as the Meteor, GOKHAN will also benefit from adjustable thrust, enabling a longer effective range.

Once developed, the GOKHAN missile is expected to be integrated into the Turkish Air Force fleet, notably the TAI KAAN fighter jet, which is set to replace Türkiye’s ageing F-16 fleet.

“Until the GOKHAN missile enters the inventory, efforts to procure the Meteor missile alongside Eurofighter aircraft continue smoothly,” the defence sources stressed.