Greek minister praises Türkiye’s drone success: ‘Truly commendable’

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias made striking remarks about Türkiye’s defense industry achievements during a conference titled “Greece After World War I,” responding to a journalist’s question about Türkiye’s growing cooperation with major European defense firms.

Türkiye recognized new technologies early

Dendias said: “We must admit that Türkiye has succeeded in developing significant production capacity in recent years, and this deserves every praise. It recognized new technologies early. At a time when many countries did not even know what unmanned aerial vehicles meant, Türkiye reached a certain level of UAV production.” He added that Türkiye has built a substantial export capacity, particularly selling to third-world countries and many nations in Africa, and through this effort has also generated diplomatic influence.

‘We must accept this as a fact’

The Greek minister emphasized that these achievements are undeniable. “All of this is absolutely true, and we must accept it. This is something our neighboring country has accomplished,” Dendias stated, while also stressing the close relations between Greece and European nations. His remarks mark a rare acknowledgment from a senior Greek official of Türkiye’s growing defense capabilities, particularly in the field of unmanned systems. Türkiye continues to expand its defense exports and technological cooperation with allies worldwide, with Turkish drones playing a decisive role in conflicts from the Caucasus to Eastern Europe.