Terrorism in Greece and Counterterrorism Policy During the Metapolitefsi Period

This study provides a comprehensive examination of the evolution of terrorism in Greece since the transition to democracy in 1974 (Metapolitefsi) and highlights the persistent shortcomings in the country’s counter-terrorism efforts. It argues that the emergence of domestic terrorist organizations in Greece, particularly after the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation in Cyprus, increasingly adopted an anti-Turkish orientation. Focusing on the post-1974 period, the article analyzes Greece’s counter-terrorism strategies across key domains, including criminal justice, terrorist financing, and law enforcement mechanisms. The central argument of this research is that Greece, throughout the Metapolitefsi period (1974 to the present), has lacked a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy and that the state's response to terrorism has been formulated inadequately within a coherent strategic framework. These structural deficiencies have not only hindered the effectiveness of Greece’s counter-terrorism policies but have also eroded Türkiye’s trust in the Greek state, thereby limiting the potential for bilateral cooperation in the region. In response to these challenges, the study proposes new solutions aimed at fostering coordinated counter-terrorism efforts between the two NATO allies. It advocates for the integration of diplomacy into bilateral counter-terrorism collaboration between Türkiye and Greece, and for the implementation of joint diplomatic and intelligence strategies within the broader NATO framework.