ATHENS – Arming to the teeth against Turkish provocations in the skies and seas, Greece’s New Democracy’s government arsenal buildup could lead to also buying Italian warships after making deals for French frigates and fighter jets.

That would be for four FREMM multi-mission frigates designed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri Marine, Kathimerini said it had learned.

The European multi-mission frigate, or FREMM, units are the key ships for the Italian Navy which has eight of them.

The paper said that the proposal includes the provision to Greece of two intermediate solution ships, possibly FREMM or Maestrale-class frigates.

Fincantieri’s FREMM has been selected as the platform design by the US Navy for its next-generation frigate known as FFG(X). Two FREMM vessels were recently acquired by Egypt.

Greek and Turkish officials met Jan. 25 in Constantinople in the first session of a 61st round of exploratory talks, the first 60 going nowhere, this time to talk about rights to the Aegean and East Mediterranean.

It was a non-binding chit-chat and a second session is set for March in Athens at the same time the European Union said it would take up the idea of sanctions sought by Greece after twice deferring any action against Turkey's moves.