Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and France are said to have blocked the financing for the supply of Turkish-made Bayraktar drones and artillery shells for Ukraine, which were to be purchased with European funds, several media reports indicated recently, calling on Greek daily Kathimerini.
The paper reported recently that the three countries declared their opposition by vetoing the proposal, which appeared to have the support of the majority of member-states during the meeting of the Political and Security Committee of the European Union early last week.
A diplomatic source revealed that Greece, as well as the Greek Cypriot administration, were aware of the significant order from Türkiye set to be financed from EU funds for some time. Once the order was confirmed, they along with France swiftly blocked the procedure, thus reportedly revealing a coordinated effort among these nations to restrict the transfer of military assets.
The Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and artillery ammunition are considered to be part of vital support for Ukraine, as its conflict with Russia enters the third year, following the Moscow invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, and dwindling support from Western allies amid a blockade of some of the proposed defense packages.
Turkish drone maker Baykar, the developer of Bayraktar TB2 drones, has meanwhile initiated the construction of a factory in Ukraine, aiming to complete the project within approximately 12 months, the company's CEO said earlier this month.
The facility's planned capacity is set to be around 120 units a year although at the moment it remains unclear whether the Turkish defense giant's famed Bayraktar TB2 drone model or its new TB3 would take place at the production line.
The Bayraktar drones have gained prominence globally after helping to swing conflicts in multiple countries including Ukraine, where they played a pivotal role in countering Russian forces early into Moscow’s invasion. They have been exported to at least 30 countries to date, while Baykar emerged as the country's top defense exporter in the past three years.