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Greece is reviewing the future of its Patriot missile battery in Saudi Arabia on a monthly basis following a new trilateral defense agreement between Riyadh, Turkey and Pakistan, prompting renewed criticism from opposition parties and calls for the system to be withdrawn.

The Greek Patriot battery is stationed in Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. According to reports, the review of its continued deployment will now take place monthly rather than annually.

The development follows the signing of a defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that includes a collective defense clause in the event that any of the three countries comes under threat.

Opposition calls for Patriot withdrawal

The agreement has triggered criticism from Greece’s opposition, with some parties calling for the Patriot battery to be withdrawn from Saudi Arabia.

“We saw the signing of a defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which also includes a collective defense clause in the event that one of the three states is threatened,” PASOK spokesperson Kostas Tsoukalas said.

The political party EL.AS. also criticized the Greek government, arguing that the Saudi-Turkish strategic agreements undermine Athens’ previous presentation of the Patriot deployment as a major success.

“The celebrations by the Mitsotakis government over the Patriot battery in Saudi Arabia are now followed by a resounding ‘slap in the face’ from the Saudi leadership, which is signing strategic agreements with Turkey,” EL.AS. said.

Turkey renews claims over Cyprus

The dispute over the Patriot deployment comes as Turkey has again reiterated its positions on the Cyprus issue.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking to Anadolu, repeated Ankara’s support for a two-state solution on Cyprus and for the continued presence of Turkish troops on the island.

“We do not recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as a state either. Therefore, if you do not recognize the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, neither will we recognize your state, because you are not the state established in 1960. Everyone knows this,” Fidan said.

Meanwhile, at commemorations in Paralimni marking 30 years since the killings of Tassos Isaac and Solomos Solomou, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said he would intensify efforts to execute arrest warrants issued for those responsible for their deaths.