Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded Wednesday to the massive defense deal signed between Israel and Greece, under which Israel will build an advanced air defense system for Athens. In his remarks, Erdoğan didn’t mention Israel directly—but sent a pointed message to Greece.
“What will we do? What is incumbent upon us? To do what needs to be done,” Erdoğan told reporters. “Whoever interprets Turkey’s measured and sober approach as weakness—and I say this openly—is making a grave mistake. Greece must reverse its mistaken approach.”
The comments come after Israel and Greece signed a defense agreement earlier this week worth more than ₪10 billion (~$3.2 billion). Under the deal, Israel will build a multi-layered air defense system in Greece called “Achilles Shield,” named after the Greek mythological warrior.
The system is expected to include David’s Sling batteries, Spyder systems, Barak interceptors, advanced MX radars, and a national command and control system. It’s the largest defense export deal in the history of Israeli-Greek relations, and one of the largest in Israel’s history.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the agreement, calling it one of the largest in the country’s history. The Prime Minister’s Office noted the deal is a direct continuation of the Eastern Mediterranean alliance between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus that has been built over the past decade.