ATHENS, July 16 (BV) – Greece could lose the military advantage it has built in recent years if the United States allows Turkey to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program, according to a leading Greek security analyst, amid renewed debate over Ankara’s potential return.
Writing in Kathimerini, Manos Karagiannis, professor of international relations at the University of Macedonia and reader in international security at King’s College London, said Greece’s planned acquisition of 20 F-35 stealth fighters, alongside its Rafale and upgraded F-16V fleets, would significantly strengthen the country’s air superiority and deterrence capabilities.
Karagiannis argued that the fifth-generation aircraft would also boost Greece’s role within NATO by enabling it to serve as a key intelligence provider in the Eastern Mediterranean through advanced network-centric warfare capabilities.
His comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled he was prepared to reconsider Turkey’s return to the F-35 program, from which Ankara was removed in 2019 after purchasing the Russian-made S-400 air defence system. Washington later imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA legislation.
The analyst said Athens should not rely on political assurances that Turkish F-35s would never be used against Greece, citing previous crises between the two NATO allies, including the 1974 Cyprus conflict and later confrontations in 1987, 1996 and 2020.
Karagiannis also noted that Israel has expressed opposition to any sale of F-35 aircraft to Turkey. If the Trump administration formally pursues Ankara’s return to the program, he said, a political battle is likely in Washington.
He added that after Turkey secured approval for new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, modernization of its existing fleet and continued acquisition of German-built submarines, allowing Ankara back into the F-35 program could narrow Greece’s technological advantage.
The debate comes as Greece and Turkey continue efforts to improve bilateral relations while maintaining long-standing disputes over the Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean maritime boundaries and Cyprus.