Greece to protest Italy over defense deal with Türkiye’s Baykar: Report

ATHENS

Greece is preparing to present a formal protest to Italy over its failure to notify European Union member states about the sale of Italian aerospace giant Piaggio Aerospace to Turkish defense company Baykar, according to Greek media.

As reported by the Kathimerini newspaper, Athens is deeply irked by the way the way Piaggio Aerospace was sold to Baykar in December 2024, citing an EU regulation mandating the notification of other member states when foreign investment firms acquire assets within the bloc.

Greek sources speaking to the newspaper underscored that Italy's omission constitutes a breach of this regulation.

By compiling this protest dossier, Greece seeks to underscore its discontent over being left uninformed about the deal.

However, sources indicate that while Athens will continue to closely monitor the matter, it does not intend to take any direct action to obstruct the sale.

This development follows Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias' Jan. 29 meeting with France’s Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer, during which he conveyed Athens’ unease regarding reports of a potential sale of Meteor air-to-air missiles to Türkiye.

Simultaneously, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to raise the issue of Meteor missile sales during his tête-à-tête with French President Emmanuel Macron at the AI summit in Paris on Feb. 10.

Greek media claimed that Mitsotakis will urge France to abstain from proceeding with the sale, though the likelihood of Athens successfully blocking such a transaction remains slim.

Kathimerini further reported that during an informal exchange with Macron at the EU Summit in Brussels, Mitsotakis sought clarification on the potential sale of Meteor missiles to Türkiye. In response, the French president reportedly indicated that while the U.K. has engaged in discussions with Türkiye, no definitive agreement has been reached.

French sources cited by Kathimerini emphasized that Meteor missiles are produced by the MBDA consortium, comprising not only France but also the U.K., Italy, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

As a result, they argued, France does not hold exclusive decision-making authority over such sales. Greece currently possesses an arsenal of 36 Meteor missiles.