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.”
The push comes as calls in Brussels grow to pursue formats outside the EU to speed up continental defence coordination and include Ukraine without waiting for its full membership.
“For the Turkish government, this serves multiple objectives. It is about strengthening Turkey’s long-term security, increasing its political and geopolitical influence and generating economic benefits through the country’s increasingly competitive defence industry,” Seyrek added.
Turkish officials went further than Erdogan in their calls. Parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmuş described defence embargoes imposed by some NATO members as a “betrayal” and “unilateral,” arguing they contradict alliance principles.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, in Ankara on Monday, said that the upcoming NATO summit will be “truly historic”, describing Turkey as a partner of strategic importance.
“Turkey is a partner of strategic importance in issues such as migration, defence, and regional stability,” she told Anadolu.
Seyrek argued Turkey’s inclusion in EU defence and security initiatives could be of “strategic interest” for both sides but cautioned that “Turkey cannot expect closer integration with the EU only in areas that align with the current priorities while continuing to drift away from European values.”
“Democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms cannot be separated from defence cooperation. Supporting security cooperation while overlooking democratic backsliding would undermine both the credibility of the EU and European values,” he added.
