Opinion Europe

Can Greek foreign policy spoil Erdogan’s “gifts”?

Greece's foreign policy under its current minister cannot block U.S. arms sales to Turkey due to its appeasement stance and failure to raise international awareness of Turkish provocations.

Konstantinos Kousantas Lieutenant General (ret.)

JULY 5, 2026 AT 5:00 PM

The capabilities of Greek Foreign Policy & Diplomacy to disrupt the NATO summit—a celebration for Erdoğan—and Trump’s forthcoming “gifts” are limited.

The reasons are our country’s inadequacy, which has aligned its Foreign Policy under the current Minister of Foreign Affairs (a proponent of appeasing Turkey), such that it cannot influence or overturn the granting of 80 fighter aircraft engines for the Turkish KAAN and the F35 purchase, hoping only for a possible block from Israel alone.

1. The Time Factor

The time frame of 15 to 20 days (already counting from June 25, 2026) since the U.S. State Department submitted the engine request to Congress is considered particularly short, despite isolated reactions from Greek-American Representatives and Senators. Greek Foreign Policy has been caught off guard by this development, even though it was expected, and could not stop it “in the making.”

2. Raising Awareness in NATO and the EU About Turkey’s Role

Unfortunately, since the Athens Declaration and thereafter, Greece has fallen into Turkey’s trap, which wanted to have a better image within NATO and the EU. Our country does not want Turkey’s provocations to be internationalized after the Athens Declaration, willfully blinding itself to the “calm waters.”

3. The Policy of Being Taken for Granted Has No National Security Benefits

Our country has no ability to demand from the U.S. that the F110 engines not be given to Turkey for the KAAN because we are simply considered “a given.”

A. Our country has not demonstrated that U.S. interests align with Greece and not with eastern Turkey, which is a candidate for BRICS – Shanghai Cooperation (competing organizations to NATO).

B. Our country has not taken care to raise awareness in all NATO member states about the introduction of the Blue Homeland [doctrine] at all levels of education for younger generations.

C. Greece has not influenced or mobilized the entire Christian world regarding the Islamization of Hagia Sophia and the Sacred Monastery of the City [Constantinople].

D. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus have not had the strength to condemn Turkey—the occupying army in Cyprus for 52 years—and to highlight the issue.

E. Not even regarding the indefinite Turkish NAVTEX for activities in half the Aegean (west of all our border islands in the Eastern Aegean, where they are completely cut off) has our country managed to internationalize the issue in NATO or the EU, and this has also brought about Turkey’s intention to internally legitimize the Blue Homeland.

4. The Strong Israel Factor

American interests believe that while they need Turkey for NATO, the Middle East, and the Black Sea, they have not realized that the major geopolitical-operational environment of power has been restored by Israel and Greece (Long-Range Air Defense Patriot, NATO patrolling alternating in Bulgaria, Romania, Republic of Cyprus after 2022).

5. The Geostrategic Vertical Security Axis of Greece-Bulgaria-Romania

Romania’s 42 F35 aircraft, which will be received together with Greece’s 20 + 20 F35s, can operationally serve the major Geopolitical Energy Axis of Greece-Bulgaria-Romania-Moldova-Ukraine, which constitutes the Bypass of the Bosphorus and has not only geostrategic value but also financial value. This Axis constitutes a continuation of the last Western Axis of Greece-Republic of Cyprus-Israel under the U.S., with a connection through Greece and from there to Bulgaria and Romania.

6. Turkey’s Recent Pro-Iranian Stance

In the same interview of Trump’s “gifts” to Erdoğan, Trump acknowledges Erdoğan’s pro-Iranian stance. Greece has never highlighted this, only Israel has, which has raised awareness through direct briefing of Trump about Turkey’s subversive role in NATO. Greece has never highlighted that Turkey was the guarantor of Hamas in the Israel-Hamas Peace Agreement.

7. Conclusion

Beyond the National-Geopolitical interests of the U.S. in Greece, Greek National interests at this moment are not being served under the U.S. Strategy, which is “divide and rule.”

If our country does not demand, does not internationalize all of the above, it will never have any National Interest.

Konstantinos Kousantas

Konstantinos Kousantas (b. 1962) graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy in 1983 and is an alumnus of the Supreme Joint War College and the National Defence School. He holds two master's degrees, an MSc in International Security (Plymouth) and International Relations (Brussels). He completed his studies at the Department of Primary Education of the Democritus University of Thrace. He has served on the staff of the International Military Sport Council (CISM) with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Belgium – Brussels (2006–2009), and at the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Headquarters in Spain – Valencia as Assistant Chief of Staff with the rank of Brigadier General (2011–2013). After his retirement, he served as Director of the Office of the President of CISM in Belgium – Brussels (2014–2018). He is also a Senior Fellow at the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs of the University of Nicosia since 2022.