Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias delivered a stark warning regarding Turkey’s escalating assertiveness during his recent speech in Parliament on a new law concerning the management of military property. Speaking about the security challenges facing Greece, Dendias emphasized a growing threat from across the Aegean Sea.
“I consider there to be a threat and worsening behavior from the other side of the Aegean,” Dendias stated, referring to Turkey’s revisionist stance. He urged political parties to unite, stressing that Greece must build strength to face any future crisis without negotiating from a position of weakness. This approach underpins Greece’s strategic agenda through 2030.
Dendias described Turkey as a “strengthened and assertive neighbor,” citing the “Blue Homeland” doctrine—a maritime claim that only emerged in the last decade—as evidence of Ankara’s intensified revisionism. “This reality did not exist in this intensity 8–10 years ago. It remains a fact today,” he said, calling for cooperation to address the challenge.
On the European defense front, Dendias addressed concerns about the SAFE regulation, a complex EU framework Greece will implement. While acknowledging bureaucratic hurdles in Brussels, he clarified that Greece could not block the regulation due to its voting rules. Though he wished for a more favorable agreement, he stressed that Ministers of Defense were not the primary negotiators and dismissed using SAFE as a political tool against the government.
In addition to security concerns, Dendias defended reforms aimed at curbing waste within the Armed Forces. He criticized the current management of military assets, revealing extravagant spending on office space and housing for military personnel. For example, the Army Fund occupies a 2,400-square-meter neoclassical building in a prime Athens location, housing only 49 staff members—giving each person between 60 to 70 square meters of space. Another fund rents a costly apartment used by a single senior officer at an annual cost of around 800,000 euros.
He also highlighted other examples of inefficiency, such as a nearly 50-meter swimming pool owned by the Defense Fund, just shy of Olympic size to avoid hosting official events, symbolizing mismanagement and lack of transparency.
Dendias concluded by stressing the urgent need to enhance Greece’s deterrence capabilities, warning that the country faces an increasing and evolving threat. He called for political unity and cooperation to ensure Greece’s security and stability in a challenging regional environment.
