SYRIZA accuses Mitsotakis of blindly following US doctrine after NATO summit
SYRIZA criticizes Mitsotakis for praising Trump and not addressing Turkey's potential return to the F-35 program, saying his foreign policy has reached a dead end.
Foreign policy deadlock
Greece's main opposition party, SYRIZA, issued a sharp statement on July 8, 2026, after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara. The party described the government's foreign policy as having reached a dead end after seven years of New Democracy rule.
The statements of Mr. Mitsotakis after the NATO summit highlight in the clearest way the deadlock of the New Democracy government's foreign policy, which it has followed for seven years.
SYRIZA accused Mitsotakis of repeatedly choosing to praise Donald Trump even as the U.S. president made a sharp pivot towards Turkey.
F-35 dispute and Turkey pivot
The opposition focused on the issue of F-35 fighter jets, saying Mitsotakis avoided commenting on Trump's desire to lift the arms embargo on Turkey and allow Ankara back into the program. Instead, the prime minister only said the aircraft would be available to the Hellenic Air Force in 2027.
Even on the F-35 issue, Mr. Mitsotakis avoided commenting on the American president's aims regarding the lifting of the embargo on Turkey, as the only thing he limited himself to saying was that in 2027 the specific aircraft will be available to the Air Force.
SYRIZA argued this demonstrates a one-sided alignment with Washington that ignores Turkish moves.
Military spending and cost
The statement also criticized Mitsotakis for celebrating Greece's position as the NATO country with the highest defense spending as a share of GDP. SYRIZA said the prime minister failed to address the domestic cost of that expenditure.
Mr. Mitsotakis celebrated that Greece is the NATO country that spends the highest percentage of GDP on military expenses. But he did not tell us the price, that is, where the money is being taken from to go to armaments.
The party implied that funds are being diverted from social needs to arms purchases without public debate.
SYRIZA's alternative
SYRIZA concluded that Mitsotakis had turned Greece into an extra on the international stage, undermining the country's defense and security. It called for a cohesive national strategy and an active, multidimensional foreign policy that effectively defends national interests.
It is obvious that Mr. Mitsotakis has turned Greece into an extra of international developments, with all that entails for the country's defense and security. The country needs a cohesive national strategy and an active, multidimensional foreign policy that effectively defends national interests.
The party contrasted this with its own record in government from 2015 to 2019, claiming it had upgraded Greece into a pillar of peace and cooperation through strategic partnerships and European and international initiatives.
