Greece Parliament ratifies defence pact with France amid tensions with Turkey

Greece’s Parliament on Thursday, 7 October ratified an agreement with France over the establishment of a strategic partnership for cooperation in defence and security. The agreement between both the nations was signed last week in Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and as per Greek news agency AMNA report, it was passed in the 300-member assembly in Athens by 191 votes in favour. 

"It is an accord that upgrades bilateral cooperation in defence, security and foreign policy," Mitsotakis said in Parliament. Further, calling the pact a historic agreement, the Greek PM added that “for the first time there is a clear clause of military assistance in the event of an attack by a third party on one of the two states."

Under the newest accord between both the European nations that comes in the backdrop of Greece-Turkey tensions and aftereffects of the AUKUS agreement between Australia, UK and US, Athens will be buying at least three French frigates in addition to an earlier order of French fighter aircraft, as per the report. The first Rafale planes are scheduled to be delivered this year. The Greek premier also said that the first Belharra frigate will be delivered in 2025.

Greece-France pact triggers tensions with Turkey

While the Greek PM has reportedly hailed the strategic pact with France, Greece has stirred tensions with Turkey. The pact involving two NATO allies includes the order of French frigates worth around 3 billion euros. But, Greece and Turkey are presently ad odds with each other, reportedly, over the extent of their continental shelves and their maritime boundaries. These tensions have also stopped Athens from any territorial expansion of its waters to 12 miles or 19 kilometres in the Aegean. 

On the other side, Turkey, on the east of Greece has said that such a move by Athens would reportedly be casus belli. Notably, some of the islands belonging to Greece lie less than 12 miles from Turkey’s western coast. Amid the ongoing frictions, the Greek-French pact has triggered a furious reaction from Ankara, who said in a statement on 1 October that Athens’ “maximalist maritime jurisdiction area and national airspace claims” were in violation of the international law. Turkey also said that it would strengthen Ankara’s determination to safeguard its own rights in the region. 

As per Xinhua, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said in a statement, “Greece's maritime jurisdiction area and national airspace claims are in contravention of international law. It is a vain dream for Greece to think that they can impose upon Turkey these claims, which are also questioned by the international community, by forming bilateral military alliances against Turkey, undermining NATO alliance itself.”

"Greece's policy of armament as well as isolation and alienation of Turkey, instead of cooperation, is a problematic policy, which will threaten regional peace and stability and undermine not only itself but also the EU, and Greece is a member of it," he noted.

(IMAGE: AP)