Turkey has withdrawn some of its forces from the NATO Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise following a standoff with Greece over airspace and search-and-rescue jurisdiction in the Aegean. 

The disagreement centered around Turkey’s attempts to impose its views on the exercise’s planning document, which Greece opposed. Athens refused to accept exclusive Turkish claims over the Aegean, threatening to cancel the exercise if the terms were altered.

The Turkish Defense Ministry stated that issues in the exercise’s design contradicted Turkey’s national rights and international law.

The dispute focused on the terminology related to NATO’s airspace, with Turkey pushing for a broad reference to “NATO Airspace” while Greece advocated for the inclusion of “Nation’s Airspace.” This conflict has resulted in high-level NATO negotiations, with US representatives aligning more closely with Greece’s stance.

Despite withdrawing reconnaissance forces from Steadfast Dart, Turkey announced that it would continue participating in other NATO exercises, including Romania’s Dacia.

Meanwhile, Turkey revealed its interest in purchasing Eurofighter aircraft and Meteor missiles, citing national defense needs.

The standoff in NATO exercises comes amid broader geopolitical tensions, as Turkey continues to assert its position on the Cyprus issue, gaining support from Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif during a joint press conference with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Islamabad.

This latest incident highlights ongoing military and diplomatic tensions between Greece and Turkey, and raises questions about NATO’s ability to mediate internal conflicts within the Alliance.

Source: Ekathimerini.com