Tangible rewards for alliance-building

Greece's military spending has shrunk dramatically as a result of the crisis, widening the defense gap with Turkey. Successive Greek governments have spent billions on armaments over the past few decades, yet there is very little to show for it in terms of a defense industry. After an ambitious start, state-owned firms such as the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAV) and others were gradually choked by mismanagement from political parties and unionism.

Ankara learned its lesson after the three-year US arms embargo in the 1970s, which prompted it to develop a long-term plan and a strong defense industry, and today Turkey is regarded as a pioneer in cutting-edge technology. No one can say how it will be affected if the United States goes ahead with sanctions over the country''s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. Right now, it is not even certain that US...