At a time when some NATO member states are demanding exceptions from the 5% GDP target in defense spending, others spend a fairly large percentage, including And Greece.

According to CNBC Greece has consistently high defensive costs, after spending about 3.1% of its defense GDP in 2024. The publication justifies this high percentage in its tense relationship with the also ally in NATO Turkey.

Tensions with Turkey

Greece and Turkey have “many historical luggage”Jacob Kirkegaard, a senior Bruegel partner, told CNBC.

The report refers to the tensions of the two countries, which, as it comments, dates back to hundreds of years ago and include war, the displacement of more than 1 million people, conflicts for control of Cyprus and a powerful geographical element due to the many islands in Greece.

“You have this very large number of Greek islands close to the Turkish coast, in which, at the beginning, the Turks could invade relatively easily,” Kirkegaard said. “Greece has traditionally maintained a … non -trivial military presence in almost all these islands, and this is quite expensive because it means you have to have … many guards.”

Concerns about the “Turkish threat” are still timely today, George Tzogopoulos, a senior associate in ELIAMEP, told CNBC.

“Greece spends a lot on defense to protect its sovereignty and sovereign rights,” he said.

The volatility of neighboring countries and regions, including the Middle East, and in particular Turkey’s “strong politics” throughout the Mediterranean, have made it crucial for Greece to continue its strong defense spending, Tzogopoulos explained.

“Greece has no other alternative than being prepared for all scenarios,” he added.

A military superpower?

According to experts, Greece’s military power is cracking despite the country’s big defense budget.

For example, Greece is increasingly focusing on investment in sophisticated weapons systems, especially after the Russian-Ukraine war, Wolfango Piccoli, a co-chair of Consulting at TENEO, told CNBC.

But, he noted, “much of these costs have been directed abroad.”

“The country still does not have a strong domestic defense industry And a top priority for the future is to build and maintain a domestic industrial base that can reduce the dependence on foreign weapon suppliers, “Piccoli said.

Greece’s military capabilities are also plagued by practical problems, added Kirkegaard. Many of the numerous tanks of the Greek army are relatively old and the staff is not trained to use these vehicles in large formations. The equipment is also often scattered on the islands of the country.

“Therefore, it would be wrong, in the case of Greece, to equate the costs with a kind of integrated military capacity,” Kirkegaard said.

Greece in NATO

As NATO officials are gathering in The Hague today, Greece’s defense levels should also reinforce the country’s voice among the 32 members of the coalition.

Expenditure has already reinforced Greece’s relationship with great powers such as the US and France, Piccoli said in part because these nations supply military equipment in Athens.

“Defense spending in Greece also act as a geopolitical leverage tool, enhancing its position and security guarantees in a complex regional environment,” Piccoli added.

At the top of the session of the Summit will be defensive costs, with Reuters stating that members of the Coalition have agreed to increase their target for such costs to 5% of their GDP. This includes 3.5% on traditional defense issues and 1.5% in related data such as infrastructure and cyber security.

The jump at a 5% target will be much smaller for Greece compared to many other nations, but even Athens may not succeed, Kirkegaard said.

“If I believe that Greece is therefore one of the countries that will particularly meet these new NATO goals I think the answer is no, because the broader shift to NATO spending levels is due to Russian aggression, which is not, you know, the main military challenge.”