Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has ruled out supporting Turkey’s participation in the European Union’s Strategic Autonomy and Financial Engagement program (SAFE) unless Ankara withdraws its longstanding threat of war and ends challenges to Greek sovereignty in the Aegean.
“While Turkey keeps the issue of casus belli on the table, and as long as it disputes the sovereignty of Greek islands through the so-called grey zones theory, Greece will not agree to its accession to SAFE,” Mitsotakis said in Copenhagen after talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit.
The Greek leader emphasized that European security must be understood as “360 degrees,” covering not only the eastern but also the southern borders of the continent. He said this principle is now reflected in European Council decisions, though he added that Athens continues to safeguard its own borders regardless of European initiatives.
Mitsotakis pointed to growing momentum within the EU for a new financial mechanism to support joint defense projects. Even traditionally frugal states such as Denmark and Finland, he noted, are showing openness to funding tools that could strengthen Europe’s air defenses and counter-drone capabilities.
On broader EU policy, he pushed back against proposals to replace unanimity with qualified majority voting in key stages of enlargement. While Greece might accept majority voting for procedural steps such as opening negotiation chapters, he insisted that unanimity must remain for closing chapters and for final accession decisions. “Greece, like any other country, must retain the ability to block the process if national or European interests are at risk,” he said.
Turning to domestic economic concerns, Mitsotakis highlighted that inflation in Greece is now significantly below the EU average. He argued that “the worst of inflation is behind us” but acknowledged that the cost of living remains the government’s top priority. Measures announced in Thessaloniki aim to bolster real wages, while electricity prices have stayed low and stable for a second month thanks to state interventions.
On migration, Mitsotakis said Europe has toughened its approach. “In Greece we are stricter on border protection and emphasize returns,” he said, adding that Athens is determined to dismantle smuggling networks.
