Androulakis warns an arms race with Turkey could jeopardize social spending
PASOK socialist opposition leader Nikos Androulakis has raised concerns about Greece potentially getting entangled in an arms race with regional rival Turkey, at the expense of the country’s social spending.
Androulakis expressed these worries following the announcement by US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday, advancing the sale of 20 Lockheed F-35 stealth fighter jets to Greece in an $8.6 billion deal. Concurrently, the administration formally notified Congress of its intention to proceed with the $23 billion sale of F-16 warplanes to Turkey.
In an interview with the One television channel on Tuesday night, Androulakis, whose party ranks second in most public surveys, acknowledged the necessity for Greece to acquire expensive armaments to establish a robust deterrent, particularly in the face of Turkey’s assertive foreign policy.
However, he emphasized the need for a serious debate in Greece about the fiscal limitations. “We voted for the agreement with the French (for the acquisition of Rafale warplanes), we supported the agreements with the US to strengthen the country’s defense,” Androulakis said.
“But there needs to be a debate about what and how much we need and whether, in the end, there will always be the philosophy that, because Turkey wants to become a regional power, we will follow it by sacrificing billions from the country’s welfare state and infrastructure,” he added.
