Turkey has allegedly withdrawn some of its forces from NATO’s Steadfast Dart 2025 exercise amid a fresh dispute with Greece over airspace and search-and-rescue jurisdiction in the Aegean.
The move follows a disagreement over the planning document for the exercise, with Ankara seeking to shape the wording to align with its territorial claims, a demand rejected by Athens, reports Greek newspaper Ekathimerini.
Greece is understood to have refused to accept what it sees as exclusive Turkish claims over the Aegean, warning that it would cancel its participation if the terms were altered.
The Turkish Defence Ministry reportedly responded by declaring that aspects of the exercise’s design contradict Turkey’s national rights and international law.
The dispute centres on the terminology surrounding NATO airspace, with Turkey pushing for a broad reference to “NATO Airspace,” while Greece insisted on the inclusion of “Nation’s Airspace.”
The disagreement is believed to have prompted high-level NATO negotiations, with reports suggesting the United States has aligned more closely with Greece’s position.
Despite withdrawing its reconnaissance forces from Steadfast Dart, Turkey has confirmed its participation in other NATO exercises, including Romania’s Dacia.
Meanwhile, Ankara has also signalled its interest in purchasing Eurofighter aircraft and Meteor missiles, citing national defence requirements.
The ongoing NATO exercise, which spans six weeks across Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, is testing the alliance’s ability to deploy rapidly across Eastern Europe without direct US assistance.
It comes as Washington shifts its defence posture, encouraging European allies to take greater responsibility for their own security.
Canadian Lt Gen Peter Scott, the deputy commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples, said: “As we soon approach the anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we see today a revitalised and refocused NATO.”
The 10,000-strong drills, featuring forces from nine NATO members – including regional rivals Greece and Turkey – mark the largest NATO operation of the year.
British forces, leading the exercise, have deployed 2,600 troops and 730 vehicles, assuming command of all land operations.
Greek and Spanish marines led a major amphibious assault near the central Greek city of Volos on Thursday, showcasing NATO’s new Allied Reaction Force (ARF), established last July.
Italian Lt GenLorenzo D’Addario, speaking after a 90-minute military demonstration, added: “This is what we’ve been training for.”
The force is designed to deploy at scale within 10 days, integrating conventional, cyber, and space-based capabilities.
The backdrop to the exercises is increasing growing unease among European nations over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to collective defence.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump announced his intention to negotiate directly with Russia, while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged European allies to shoulder the “overwhelming share” of funding for Ukraine.
The withdrawal of Turkish forces from Steadfast Dart underscores NATO’s internal divisions, particularly between Greece and Turkey, whose longstanding disputes continue to surface in military and diplomatic arenas.
The latest standoff raises fresh questions about NATO’s ability to mediate tensions between its own members while maintaining its strategic focus on deterring Russian aggression.
The Turkish government has been contacted for comment via the Turkish embassy in London.
