The Greek government formalized the agreement with France the day before March 25, when Greece celebrated its independence.
The agreement was signed on the deck of the 112-year-old warship called Yeoryos Averof, which was used by Greece against the Ottoman Empire.
With the agreement, Greece bought three frigates and 6 Rafales from France.
While Greece's massing and arming of soldiers on the islands with the support of the USA and the EU remained on the agenda, another move came from the Southern Cyprus Administration.
The Minister of Defense of the Southern Cyprus Administration, which signed an agreement with France on the purchase of combat helicopters, targeted Turkey.
He claimed that Turkey's military presence in the north of the island did not allow them to be complacent about defense.
Similarly, Greece had bought a fleet and helicopters from France in an agreement ceremony targeting Turkey.
"A PROVOCATION DANGERING STABILITY"
The EU-backed Greek Cypriot Administration signed an agreement with the French company “Airbus Helicopters” to purchase six H145M combat helicopters. The deal includes the option to purchase six more helicopters. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, on the other hand, described the South's attempt to purchase combat helicopters as "a provocation that jeopardizes regional stability".
GREEK MINISTER: “WE CANNOT OVERCOME BY LANGOUR AGAINST TURKEY”
Southern Cyprus Defense Minister Haralambos Petridis noted that the agreement is of great importance for the defense of Southern Cyprus and is also a step that deepens diplomatic relations with France.
Stating that Turkey's military presence in the north of the island does not allow them to be complacent about defense, Petridis said, "The defense of our homeland and national security are not open to discussion."