Sébastien Lecornu, minister of the French Armed Forces, said at a Defense Commission hearing that France has no direct role in the potential sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey.
“No, France is not a part of this,” Lecornu said, confirming that negotiations are solely between Britain and Turkey. He said France has no influence over British arms exports and linked the missiles to Britain’s Eurofighter platform, not French sales.
Fransız bakan Türkiye'ye Meteor füzeleri satışına müdahale etmeyeceklerini resmen açıkladı.
Fransa @Armees_Gouv Bakanı @SebLecornu, 18 Şubat 2025'te @AssembleeNat Savunma Komisyonu'nda yaptığı konuşma¹ esnasında Türkiye'ye Meteor füzesi satışıyla ilgili gelen soru üzerine… pic.twitter.com/Z4n2bPsRhi
— Turan Oguz (@TyrannosurusRex) February 21, 2025
Lecornu said France is instead selling Rafale jets to Greece and acknowledged Greek concerns. “We have to recognize the legitimate concern this represents for Greek public opinion,” he said, calling Greece a key strategic partner.
“We are selling Rafales to Greece. This cannot be put on the wrong side, if I may say so,” he added, underscoring France’s alignment with Athens.
He talked about the importance of diplomacy, saying, “I think we have only diplomacy and persuasion, especially to seek a way that enables all to talk and arrive at a solution from the top.”
Lecornu plans to soon visit Athens to discuss the issue with his Greek counterpart.
Turkey is negotiating to acquire up to 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, including Meteor missiles, to bolster its air force against regional threats.
The missiles, developed by MBDA — a consortium of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden — feature a ramjet motor, exceed Mach 4 and have a range of more than 100 kilometers.
Greece strongly opposes the deal, with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias demanding answers from France’s ambassador on January 29. Athens claims it violates a 2021 Franco-Greek defense pact requiring security consultations.
French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ request to block the sale during a February 11 meeting at the Paris AI Summit, Greek media reported.