Negative portrayals of Greece have become increasingly prominent in parts of the Turkish media over the past weeks, with Athens frequently depicted as provocative, militarily vulnerable and deeply alarmed by Turkey’s growing regional power.
A special investigation of The Levant Files, for the period of July 12 and August 9, shows that the shift is particularly visible in pro-government newspapers, television networks and defence-oriented outlets. Although it does not amount to a uniform campaign across the entire Turkish media landscape, the recurrence of similar headlines and themes points to a discernible hardening of the narrative surrounding Greece.
The trend became especially pronounced after July 20, when Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias marked the anniversary of Turkey’s 1974 military intervention in Cyprus by declaring that “Cyprus is close” for the Greek armed forces.
A Haber described his remarks as an “arrogant provocation” and said that Dendias had “overstepped the mark.” The channel returned to the statement two days later, presenting it as another example of Greece directly targeting Turkey.
A second recurring theme is that Greece is frightened by Turkey’s expanding defence industry. On August 2, Haber7 reported that Athens was experiencing “KAAN panic” over Turkey’s indigenous fighter aircraft and advances in drone technology. The outlet claimed that Greece was watching the transformation of Turkish air power “with fear.”
Two days later, the same narrative appeared on the public broadcaster. TRT Haber ran the headline, “Greece gripped by KAAN fear,” arguing that Turkey’s advances could overturn the military balance in the Aegean.
Greece’s planned acquisition of Israeli air-defence systems has also been framed primarily as part of a military build-up aimed at Turkey. Haber7 described a “climate of panic” surrounding the Greek government’s proposed €4.5 billion “Achilles Shield,” while other outlets portrayed Greek-Israeli defence cooperation as an attempt to contain Ankara.
The tone is not restricted to defence reporting. On August 5, Haber7 columnist Ferman Karaçam asked, “Why won’t Greece behave?” He characterised Greece as a country constantly threatening Turkey and being encouraged by Western powers. Karaçam went further, describing Greece as a “sacred cow” that the Christian West would never abandon.
Other reports have sought to contrast Turkey’s rising international role with alleged Greek weakness. On July 27, Türkiye newspaper claimed that Greece had withdrawn from a NATO Baltic air-policing assignment because of insufficient personnel and technical capacity, leaving Turkish F-16s to assume the mission. The story was presented less as a routine NATO rotation than as evidence of Turkish superiority and Greek inadequacy.
On August 2, the same newspaper accused Athens of a “provocation on the Çanakkale (Dardanelles) border”, combining statements by a Greek parliamentarian concerning Gökçeada with reports of missile deployments on nearby Greek islands.
The latest source of friction emerged on August 7, when Greece announced a Special Spatial Framework for Tourism encompassing the Aegean. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the framework would have no legal consequences for Ankara, particularly regarding geographical formations whose sovereignty, it argues, was not transferred to Greece by treaty. While mainstream agencies relayed the official statement, more partisan outlets labelled the initiative a “tourism provocation.”
Five interconnected frames now dominate this strand of coverage: Greece as the instigator of provocations; Athens as fearful of Turkish military power; Greek-Israeli cooperation as an anti-Turkish alignment; Greece as militarily dependent and inadequate; and Athens as an instrument of broader Western efforts to constrain Turkey.
A substantial part of the pattern is produced by selectively republishing Greek commentary under emotionally charged Turkish headlines using terms such as “panic,” “fear,” “confession,” “provocation” and “discomfort.” The evidence therefore supports describing the development as an emerging wave of negative framing—particularly within pro-government media—rather than, at this stage, a comprehensive and centrally coordinated anti-Greek campaign.