Ankara’s contributions to Europe's security are “overlooked,” Turkey's president said
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to leverage the upcoming NATO summit to press for deeper Turkish involvement in Europe’s defence architecture, calling for the removal of restrictions on defence trade among NATO allies.
Speaking on Monday to parliamentary delegates from all 32 NATO member states in Istanbul, the Turkish president said that Turkey’s contributions to European security are “sometimes overlooked” and that Ankara wants to take part in all defence and security initiatives on the continent.
Central to Erdogan’s push is access to the EU’s €150-billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence loans scheme. Although Turkey is eligible in principle, participation requires unanimous approval from EU countries, and Athens has already signalled it may block Ankara’s entry.
“Turkey wants to be included in Europe’s emerging security architecture and to be recognised as a key strategic actor within it,” EPC researcher Demir Murat Seyrek told Euractiv. “Participation in SAFE is one avenue, but the same objective could also be pursued through new institutional mechanisms linking the EU, Turkey and NATO. That’s why the NATO summit is important for Turkey.”
