Officials in the Greek Ministry of Defence said that Greece would reduce the level of its operations and forces in Saudi Arabia in response to the latter signing an agreement with Türkiye.

Türkiye and Greece are considered rivals, with a long-standing conflict and escalating disputes between them, as well as a cold war that has lasted for decades.

Greek Ministry of Defence officials considered that Türkiye’s military agreement with Saudi Arabia could lead to geopolitical changes that conflict with Greek national security and Greek interests.

Greek forces entered Yanbu in 2021 on a mission to protect the airspace over Yanbu and the surrounding area using the US Patriot system, in return for financial benefits received from Saudi Arabia.