ATHENS, Greece – The Greek minister on Saturday defined his goal of modernizing the country’s defense capabilities, adding the acquisition of new fighter jets, frigates, helicopters and weapons systems amid rising tensions with Turkey over rights over resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
In an annual state-of-the-economy address, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece would get 18 new French-made Rafale fighter jets to upgrade its old Mirage 2000 fighter jets, buy 4 military helicopters and 4 new frigates and renovate 4 more frigates.
The armed forces will obtain new anti-tank weapons, torpedoes and guided missiles, and rent to another 15,000 people over the next five years, he said.
In principle, NATO allies Greece and Turkey have deployed naval and air partners to promote countries’ competitive demands on power rights in the Mediterranean. economic rights.
The growing tension at sea has raised fears that the stage could turn into an armed conflict.
“We are a non-violent country, able to cooperate with allArray . . . including Turkey,” Mitsotakis said, speaking from the northern city of Thessaloniki. If Turkey does not agree with the delimitation of maritime borders in the eastern Aegean Sea, he said, a solution can be found in the International Court.
Turkey accuses Greece of seeking an unfair share of maritime resources already Cyprus from ignoring the rights of Turkish Cypriots on the ethnically divided island.
Greece and Turkey have conducted rival naval training amid their stalemate. On Friday, Turkey announced live fire drills starting on Saturday and continuing between its southern coast and northern Cyprus on Monday.
“Ankara now joins the provocations in the Aegean Sea, the wonder of peace in the Mediterranean,” Mitsotakis said, noting that the Greek armed forces had run out of investment in recent years during a recession. “The time has come to strengthen the Armed Forces as a legacy of the country’s security. “
Athens has pushed for the European Union to impose sanctions on Turkey unless Ankara withdraws its ship, the Oruc Reis, from the eastern Mediterranean region that Greece claims as its continental shelf.
The prime minister also discussed economic measures to combat the effect of the coronavirus pandemic, pronouncing some tax cuts and extending subsidies. The economic package represents 6. 8 billion euros ($8. 1 billion) injected into the economy, Mitsotakis said.
Some of the additional defense spending, such as business aid, will be financed with 2. 5 billion euros ($ 3 billion) that Greece recently raised in a bond auction.
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