Erdogan threatens, and not only Israel: the reason the giant deal is being signed now

The plan, known in Greece as the “Achilles Shield”, is one of the largest security deals in the country’s history. This is the first time that the Ministry of Defense will provide a complete defense system against a wide range of threats – from ballistic missiles and airstrikes to hostile unmanned aerial vehicles.

This unprecedented deal is directly affected by the extraordinary tensions between Greece and Turkey, which have always been hot, but now more than ever. The Greek military build-up while getting closer to Israel, a more leading supplier of military equipment at the world level than Ankara, is bringing the Erdogan regime to take both physical and verbal actions.

A pair of F-16 aircraft of the Greek Air Force were flown last Friday in order to remove a Turkish drone that was operating in the area of the Samothraki and Manos islands. These Greek islands, which are located in the heart of the Aegean Sea, are adjacent to Turkey and provoke a heated dispute between the parties, after about two weeks ago Ankara decided to issue a presidential decree to establish “national marine parks” on the islands. That is, from a situation where there are clear disputes between the parties on the borders Between the seas, Turkey is trying to impose facts on the ground.

Erdogan’s extremism

The Greeks themselves are trying to be active and plan to establish a new drone base in Rhodes, which led the Turkish Ministry of Defense to respond to the move. According to them, the establishment of the drone base on an island close to Turkey, “will violate the demilitarized status of the island and harm peace and stability in the Aegean Sea, as well as good neighborly relations.”

On the same day that Ankara sent a drone to Somotraki and Manos, the aggression of Turkey, the country with the second largest military in NATO, was also reflected towards Israel. Every Friday, Turkey’s Religious Affairs Authority delivers a prepared sermon to mosques, a frequent event that has become hot on social media following messages that appear to be about Israel. According to the sermon, the meaning of “love of the homeland”, when necessary, is adherence to the prophetic commandment: “Make jihad with your hands, your tongues and your possessions”. At the end of the sermon, they added emphasis with a verse from the Koran: “O believers, be patient; stand strong against the enemy; be ready and alert for jihad, and fear Allah, for your success.”

The Israeli strategy

At the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented a particularly anti-Semitic speech, even in his own words. “The radical, conquering, genocidal ideology known as Zionism is not only aimed at the peace of its neighbors,” Erdogan said. “It is also directed against anyone who defends regional peace and humanitarian values.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry was quick to respond already on Saturday night. “The anti-Semitic Erdogan seeks, every few days, to reach new heights of wild incitement against the Jewish state, in an attempt to divert attention from his actions against his own people and outside the region,” it was reported from Jerusalem. “Erdogan destroyed Turkish democracy, jailed his political opponents, hosts and supports the terrorist organization Hamas and invades neighboring countries.”

This aggression, which is added to the Iranian threat, largely reflects what was behind the speech of the Director General of the Ministry of Defense at the Herzliya conference about two months ago. According to Baram, there is an “identity of interests for the formation of a broader alliance – from India, through the United Arab Emirates to Greece and Cyprus.” In the last year, the Director General has been promoting more strongly the identification of countries with which Israel has uniformity on an ideological level, the geopolitical interests the regional ones and each has a profitable advantage for the other side.

In Europe there is Germany, a power that is a close friend of Israel, but Greece is seen in the Israeli strategy as the gateway to Europe.

First and foremost, the deal, which includes the supply of David and Spider slingshots manufactured by Rafael and Barak MX manufactured by the Aerospace Industry within 35 months, anchors the integration of Greek companies at approximately 700 million euros (22.5% of the total agreement).

Beyond that, the Israeli strategy is to expand the production infrastructure at home and abroad, as is also reflected in the negotiations that Baram is conducting with the American government regarding the next memorandum of understanding for aid funds, which is expected to begin in 2029.

The Greek case may also encourage European countries to turn to Israel, as a result of US President Donald Trump’s policy.

In Europe, the internalization of various countries is increasing because they are required to increase their independence, while reducing their dependence on the US, which for its part strives to leave production infrastructure at home. When NATO members other than Turkey see how the working model with Israel works, it may encourage them to turn to Jerusalem – with the aim of purchasing similar systems. Despite the European criticism against Israel, it manages to extend strategic partnerships, for example with Finland, which borders Russia.

In contrast to its interests that focus on political and economic aspects, with Greece – Israel is able to find benefits for its own security. The tightening of the Israeli partnership with Greece and Cyprus, especially in the aspects of air defense, can further lead to the creation of a common sky picture. In other words, the array of sensors, radars and control centers, which make it possible to see, identify and track everything that moves in the sky. Considering the nature of the Turkish aggressive activity, this appears to be a potentially essential step for the parties.

The director general of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (res.) Amir Baram, said: “The ‘Achilles Shield’ transaction is a strategic milestone in the security relations between Israel and Greece and expresses the deep trust that our partners in the world have in Israel’s technological superiority and the proven operational experience of our defense systems. This transaction is the implementation, in practice, of the strategy of the Ministry of Defense: the expansion of defense exports as a central tool for ensuring the building of power and the strengthening of the IDF, for influencing foreign policy and strengthening the defense industry and the national economy. Government-to-Government (GTG) agreements of these scopes are not only a first-rate political and economic asset, but a direct engine for the expansion of local production lines in Israel, for increasing inventories and establishing armed independence of the State of Israel”.

The chairman of the IAI Aerospace Industry, Boaz Levy, said: “In view of the developing threats in our region, IAI has been deepening its activities in Greece in recent years, together with local partners and using the most advanced technologies in the world. IAI’s operational air defense systems have proven their capabilities in the recent combat against Iran and its affiliates, by successfully intercepting a variety of threats, primarily ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. Against the background of the ever-increasing demand for advanced detection and interception capabilities, IAI’s groundbreaking capabilities stand, contributing directly to the security of the citizens of Israel and its allies. Among these capabilities, IAI’s air defense systems stand out, including BARAK MX and multi-mission radars produced by the company, which already provide protection to several countries throughout Europe.”

CEO of Rafael, Yoav Turgeman: “Rafael is proud to take a central part in building Greece’s multi-layered air defense system and to provide another country in Europe with the most advanced air defense solutions in the world that have been operationally proven. The choice of Rafael systems, including the David Slingshot, SPYDER, and our SHB systems as a national infrastructure, expresses the growing confidence in Rafael’s air defense capabilities and the unique operational experience gained in Israel.”