ATHENS – Greece is locked and loaded in case a conflict breaks out with Turkey, which has become belligerent in threats and claiming Greek seas and coveting Greek islands.

If it comes to that, Greece – which has been building an arsenal with more French Rafale fighter jets and warships and American-made vessels – will turn to an international alliance it has built, said New Democracy government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou.

He told reporters at a briefing that Greece’s military might can stand up to Turkey, which has vastly greater numbers of armaments and troops, which Greece said it can deal with.

“Our allies are on our side, the right is on our side; and we can effectively deter challenges to our rightful claims,” he said, referring to a mutual defense pact with France and Greece having renewed a military cooperation deal with the United States, although President Joe Biden want to arm Turkey with more F-16’s.

Describing Greece as a “force of stability,” he said the government has a foreign policy with facets of deterrence and diplomacy which he said has managed to secure support for the nation’s positions across the globe: in the European Union, the United States, our allies,” he said of the plan.

Turkey has been ratcheting up the tension, including sending fighter jets into Greek airspace and demanding that Greece take troops off Aegean islands near Turkey’s coast, which would leave them open to any potential takeover attempt.