Greece welcomes US sanctions against Turkey

Greece welcomed the announced US sanctions against the top Turkish defense development body, its president and three employees on Monday.

"Greece, a member-state of NATO, is observing with satisfaction today's announcement of the US Department of Treasury related to sanctions against the Turkish Republic's Directorate of Defense Industry, the directorate's president, as well as other officials, in application of Section 231 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)," the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

The move, while focused on the defense sector, including Turkey's Defence Industries Directorate (SSB), has drawn a condemnation from NATO-ally Ankara and is likely to further strain Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's relations with Western allies, Reuters reported earlier.