Speaking to German magazine Der Spiegel, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said that Athens did not have such funds, material and technical base as Turkey did, but there was a difference between the price of offensive and defensive weapons.
Asked whether Greece, which is going through a serious financial crisis, can withstand the arms race with Turkey, “There is a defense with limited costs, based on our economic potential, we are strengthening our defense, we have good personnel and armament. Six German submarines are formidable weapons in the seas. Turkey invests in major projects such as ordering aircraft carrier, but Greece has two thousand islands.” the minister said.
The foreign minister is known for his warlike rhetorics on the subject of relations between Athens and Ankara which had been strained and acrimonious over the two Greek soldiers that are being held in Turkey since last month and the eight Turkish servicemen that fled to Greece in 2016.