ISTANBUL 

French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' request to block the sale of Meteor missiles to Türkiye, Greek media reported Tuesday.

During their meeting at the Paris AI Summit, Macron indicated that halting the sale of Meteor air-to-air missiles to Türkiye would not be possible, according to daily EFSYN.

He emphasized that the missile deal extends beyond French jurisdiction, as the weapons are manufactured by the six-country European consortium MBDA with the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.

Athens reportedly intends to approach the other consortium member nations in an attempt to prevent the missile sale to Ankara

In its efforts to bolster its air defense, Türkiye is engaged in negotiations to acquire up to 40 EF-2000 Eurofighter jets to enhance its air force in the face of growing regional threats. The Meteor missiles are reportedly included in the proposed Eurofighter package. 

Greece, which has recently stepped up its own military procurements through programs including F-16 fleet modernization and the purchase of French-made Rafale jets equipped with Meteor missiles, strongly opposes the sale to Türkiye. 

On Jan. 29, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias summoned the French ambassador and military attache in Athens to express the country's firm opposition to the deal.

Subsequently, on Feb. 4, Mitsotakis sought clarification from Macron regarding the missile negotiations during their meeting on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels.

Turkish sources reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Macron discussed bilateral relations and cooperation, among other topics, during a phone conversation last Friday.