ekathimerini. com - OPINION - Defense, dependence, Turkey and NATO - Vassilis Nedos - 07.07.2026 • 17:13

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OPINION

Defense, dependence, Turkey and NATO

Vassilis Nedos

07.07.2026 • 17:13

  

Greece is a country whose economy “produces” approximately €250 billion per year at current prices, according to data for 2025 from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). And the defense industry contributes a negligible 0.5% or so to this gross domestic product per year. This explains why the lion’s share of the money paid by Greek taxpayers for defense is ultimately channelled into foreign companies, be they American, French, German, Israeli, Brazilian or others.

The real problem begins after the first installment for the acquisition of a foreign-made weapons system is paid. This is usually done without ensuring that the system also has long-term technical support in Greece. As a result, technical support disappears when the money runs out, as many examples, even in the recent past, have shown us, such as that of the Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets.

So, the issue is that when Greek defense industries are not carrying out any technical work, there can be no transfer of know-how and expertise. And this, in turn, basically means that what is described as “domestic participation” tends to be limited to the sublease of spaces for the development of projects or the manufacture and assembly of some component like sheet metal, and that’s about it. There are, of course, two or three really large companies in the defense sector in Greece, but even these are focused mainly on exports, because the domestic defense ecosystem is riddled with distortions.

In contrast to Greece’s stance, which has deprived its economy of an important productive sector, especially in the current period, Turkey enjoys a reputation – for reasons that have been analyzed in Kathimerini many times – as a defense partner with whom the middle-sized powers, that is, the large European countries, can cooperate.

Why does all this matter? Because various issues will be discussed in the context of NATO’s restructuring at the summit in Ankara, especially in the field of the defense production capabilities of the Alliance’s member states. In this discussion, Turkey emerges as a success story of industrial transformation, while Greece is still struggling to convince its partners that it is actually doing something. It touts various defense systems with grandiose names borrowed from ancient Greek mythology that are usually met with little more than a smirk and perhaps some sympathy.

We can expect massive shifts in the defense sector in the coming years, and the countries that take advantage of these changes will be helping their national economies. Otherwise, let’s just stick with tourism and the moral satisfaction that no matter what happens, everyone will always want to have a holiday in Greece.