Turkey reduces military budget due to economic woes

ANKARA —Turkey is reducing its military budget as its longtime rival Greece has postponed a major fighter-jet procurement program.

The reduction of Turkey's military budget comes as the government of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has determined that Greece is doing the same. Greek government leaders are calling on Ankara to cooperate in reducing defense expenditures.

So far, Greece has decided to postpone by at least three years the $4.4 billion purchase of the Eurofighter. The delay was taken amid a decision by the government in Athens to invest more resources in social programs. Officials said Turkey regards its main threat from Iran and Syria. But they acknowledged that Ankara's defense budget has been reduced by a third because of the huge drop in the Turkish lira.

"Reducing military purchases is a matter which must be discussed by the military authorities," Huseyin Dirioz, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said. "Turkey's geopolitical conditions are different from those of Greece."

For their part, Greek officials are not urging for identical cuts as those concluded in Athens.

"Turkey considers Greece a small regional problem," Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsohatsopoulos said. "With 600,000 soldiers, Turkey needs to arm itself against Iran, Iraq and Syria. In this context, there cannot be an arms balance between Turkey and Greece."

Greece and Turkey are discussing the issue during the current visit by Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou to Ankara. Papandreou is also discussing the prospect of demilitarizing the divided island of Cyprus, where 35,000 Turkish troops are currently deployed.