Turks were expected to focus on the weapons that will be installed in the Greek Rafale fighter jets, especially with regard to the METEOR missile, for which a large mobilization of all the Turkish military services is imminent to reveal its secrets.
A Turkish defense systems expert expresses strong skepticism about the supply by the Greek Air Force of METEOR missiles, stating that the Turkish Air Force must be immediately equipped with anti-aircraft systems to deal with the Greek air threat.
"Greece will buy Meteor missiles along with the Rafale fighter jets, as well as Scalp, Mıca and Exocet missiles.
The Scalp, AM-39 and Meteor missiles pose a high threat to Turkey, along with AESA radar on Rafale aircraft during a possible air battle. "Our Tübitak institute has prepared a similar missile", said Turkish expert Anıl Şahin.
"Greece in a possible conflict in the air, having the Meteor missile can take advantage of its superiority against Turkey. These missiles will give the Greek side a very serious advantage in a possible air battle against Turkish aircraft that do not currently have missiles of the same range," said another Turkish expert, Ali Kemal Erdem.
However, what really caused concern in Ankara and in dozens of experts from the many defense institutes is the fact that a new batch of Rafale aircraft by 2025 was received by the Greek Air Force, bringing the number of these fighters to 40, which translates into full Greek air superiority both in the Eastern Mediterranean and over Cyprus.
"The information that the new Greek fighters will have Meteor missiles with immediate delivery of the new fighters from Paris, was met with obvious concern in all Turkish defense forums.
"The reason for the concern is that the Meteor missiles, which have a wide range, may upset the balance between the air forces of the two countries in favor of Greece in a possible intensity", a Turkish publication states.
The Turkish Squadron Commander Osman Başıbüyük, who had served in the Turkish Air Force for many years, said: This missile is an active radar-guided missile, like the AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range missiles we use in our F-16 aircraft, but it has a longer range than the AIM-120 AMRAAM thanks to the ramjet engine.
It will offer a significant advantage to Greek aircraft in a possible collision.
Now as for the AESA radar of the Greek Rafale, this will detect our F-16s, long before ours do, which will have already been targeted and locked by the Greek fighters, thanks to the range of the Meteor rocket ”.
Başıbüyük stated that in order to maintain the balance with Greece in the air, the new Merlin and Peregrine anti-aircraft systems should be prepared.
"We also need to develop the necessary electronic interference measures by examining French missiles. Here it is important to emphasize that all information about the Meteor rocket in Greece and France is not accessible at all to Turkey.
"In this sense, before testing the corresponding Turkish Göktuğ missile, it is necessary for Turkey to start mass production of the Merlin and Peregrine air defense systems, in order to prevent or even increase the changing balance of power," he said.
Başıbüyük also said that new purchases of similar aircraft from Greece could upset the air balance between the two countries.
The Turkish experts, speaking clearly the language of truth, find that Greece with 18 or 40 Rafale with Scalp, Mıca, Exocet, and Meteor missiles, will dominate the ethers, so they will do everything to learn their secrets, either through France or information gathering from spies inside Greece.
