France sells warships to Greece A double message to Washington and Ankara

Saudi Arabia is not far from the security coordination in the Mediterranean.

Strategic partnership

Paris - France quickly responded to the submarine deal it lost with Australia by selling warships to Greece, in a move that observers said sends a double message to both the United States regarding submarines, and to Turkey about Paris's seriousness in competing with Ankara's influence and not leaving Greece alone in the face of the president's policies Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

This coincides with the entry of Saudi Arabia as a party to the security arrangements in the eastern Mediterranean, after joint exercises with Greece.

Ten days after the submarine crisis with Australia, France signed an agreement on Tuesday to sell three frigates to Greece as part of a "strategic partnership" between Paris and Athens in the Mediterranean that gives impetus to President Emmanuel Macron in his battle to promote European defense.

Florence Parly: The Mediterranean should not be a playground for the ambitions of some, it is a joint property

Followers of the controversy that accompanied the failure of a French submarine deal to Australia say that the French president wants to develop this incident and make it an entry point for serious European concern from the American ally and to think about a new European defense policy that depends on itself instead of an unequal alliance with the United States, considering that the deal is with Greece. A bold first step towards European strategic independence.

The French president declared that the agreement "contributes to European security and to the strengthening of Europe's strategic independence and sovereignty, and thus to international peace and security."

Macron said after meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Elysee Palace that Greece will buy the three frigates from France, as part of a deeper "strategic partnership" between the two countries to defend their common interests in the Mediterranean.

Athens' decision to purchase warships was considered a "confidence indicator" in the French defense industry in the face of competition, especially from the American group Lockheed Martin, according to press reports.

The French president constantly stresses that Europe needs to develop its own defense capabilities, reduce dependence on the United States, and even went so far as to warn that NATO is suffering from "brain death".

Observers point out that the military partnership with Greece is not the result of anger over Washington's robbery of the submarine deal with Australia, pointing out that the matter seemed more urgent with the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean due to Turkey's moves to explore for oil and gas and its imposition of a new reality in Cyprus.

In addition to diplomatic moves, France has clearly expressed its support for Greece and has deployed warships and combat aircraft in the region.

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"The Mediterranean should not be a playground for the ambitions of some, it is a common property" where "respect for international law should be the rule, not the exception," French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said in a tweet.

In light of German and British neutrality towards Turkish moves, France appeared in the image of the pivotal European country that leads the task of confronting Turkish influence in a first stage and then encourages in a second stage to break the American guardianship over Europe, which will need to search for the protection of its national security by its own efforts.

The circle of tension between Turkey and France expanded outside the eastern Mediterranean, as Paris opposed the Turkish military intervention in the Karabakh region along with Azerbaijan. It also stood in the face of Turkish interference in Libya and opposed the border demarcation agreement between Ankara and the Government of National Unity in Libya headed by Fayez al-Sarraj.

Macron said the frigate deal should not be seen as a threat to Ankara, but as a common way to ensure security in the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans.

Greece and France angered Ankara in January when they signed a 2.5 billion euro ($3 billion) deal to buy 18 Rafale planes, 12 used and six new, as part of an arms program in the face of rising tensions with neighboring Turkey.

The security of the Mediterranean is no longer confined to the surrounding countries. At the height of the tension between Greece and Turkey, the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum arose, and included Egypt, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Jordan and Israel. Although on the surface it appeared to be an economic bloc, it was aimed at forming a front against Turkish expansion before the facts changed after the Turkish-Egyptian rapprochement.

Saudi Arabia will not be far from security coordination in the Mediterranean after joint arrangements and maneuvers with Greece and a contract to lease a Greek Patriot missile system that helps fill some of the gaps left by the withdrawal of the American systems.

Since Turkey announced its efforts to be present in the Red Sea region as a natural extension of its influence, Saudi Arabia has moved to have a tangible presence in the Mediterranean.

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A week ago, a force of paratroopers units and special security forces of the Saudi ground forces participated in a maneuver with the Greek special operations forces.

The aim of the exercise, according to the Saudi Press Agency “SPA”, is to enhance joint cooperation between the participating countries, exchange experiences, and raise the level of combat readiness to face regional challenges in the region.

And this exercise is not the first, as in mid-March, Riyadh sent Saudi F-15C fighters to the island of Crete with their full crews to participate in a training maneuver with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean.

Saudi Arabia has sought to obtain an alternative to the THAAD and Patriot missile systems that the United States withdrew from vital Saudi sites this September.