European Security: A Greek Perspective

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has transformed Europe’s security situation. Europe and the United States have increased their military spending to support Ukraine in its defence. But fundamental questions have arisen regarding Europe’s defence autonomy, the role of NATO, and the possibilities for non-EU allies to participate in shaping the European defence landscape. As a non-EU NATO member, Türkiye holds a central place in the evolving European defence architecture, despite the EU’s scepticism. The paper traces the evolution of European security and defence policies and presents Greek perceptions on Türkiye’s foreign and security policies including Ankara’s Eastern Mediterranean policies and its balancing act between Ukraine and Russia. Greece’s threat perceptions are also laid out along with military comparisons between Greece and Türkiye, and Greek public perceptions of relations with Türkiye. The paper argues that any Turkish contribution to a European security order must address Greek threat perceptions and de-escalate tensions with the EU. Only then can the dominant zero-sum perceptions make way for a more positive win-win approach.