Nikos Dendias is rolling out a new arms procurement doctrine that would embed a so-called “Türkiye clause” into Greece’s future defense contracts, according to sources familiar with the plan.
The proposed clause aims to ensure that major weapons systems purchased by Athens cannot also be sold to Türkiye. Under the framework being developed by the Defense Ministry, suppliers would be required to provide written guarantees that the same platforms will not be transferred to Ankara. Without such assurances, officials argue, large-scale defense investments would undermine their own strategic purpose.
The initiative follows mounting frustration in Athens over Germany’s sale of Type 214 submarines to both Greece and Türkiye — a development Greek officials believe altered the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean. The issue has been a recurring point of tension, particularly given Ankara’s longstanding disputes with Athens over maritime boundaries and security matters.
Dendias has previously warned Berlin that exporting advanced military systems to Türkiye could strengthen “a country that, although a NATO member, has issued a casus belli against Greece,” referencing the Turkish parliament’s 1995 declaration concerning the potential extension of Greek territorial waters.
The new doctrine comes as Greece prepares to evaluate proposals for additional submarines, with defense industries from Germany, France, Italy, South Korea and Sweden expected to compete. Beyond the Türkiye clause, Athens is also insisting on a minimum of 25% Greek industrial participation in each program, aiming to boost domestic defense production and technological know-how.
Defense officials suggest that the dual-track approach — strategic exclusivity and domestic industrial returns — will shape Greece’s procurement decisions in the coming years, reflecting a broader effort to align military modernization with national security priorities.