Greek National Security Council is meeting with Turkish provocations in the background

The Government National Security Council is meeting today at 11am under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

This is the last regular meeting of the body for 2022, during which it is expected to discuss the latest developments in Greek-Turkish relations, security issues and pending defense armament procurement programs.

Against the background of the Turkish provocations

Greek-Turkish relations are expected to be thoroughly discussed at the Security Council meeting, after the meeting held last Friday in Brussels by the Prime Minister’s diplomatic adviser, Anna Maria Boura, with Ibrahim Kalin and the German Chancellor’s adviser.

However, despite the occasional meetings and the search for communication channels at the level of official positions, things remain as they were. Turkey constantly raises claims, its rhetoric remains incendiary, while responses from Athens remain in high tones – depending on the gravity of the Turkish statements each time – and if nothing else they show the difficulties of de-escalating the tension.

It is indicative that, a few 24 hours after the Boura-Kalin meeting, the Turkish president returned to aggressive rhetoric, unleashing new threats of a missile strike.

Athens, however, does not abandon the belief that the channels of communication with Ankara must remain open. Indicative are the statements of the Minister of Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos, before the beginning of the meeting of the armaments committee in the Parliament. The minister, when asked about the Greek-Turkish meeting in Brussels, called it “reasonable and imperative” to reopen the channel of communication between Athens and Ankara.

Wepon system procurement

As far as pending armament programs are concerned, it is uncertain whether any decision will be made on the Navy’s new corvette building program. As everything shows, the issue of the procurement of the new ships of the Navy is, unexpectedly, postponed until after the national elections.

According to the Minister of Defense, the discussion is about 3+1 ships, with one being built abroad and the remaining three in our country.