ANKARA — Turkey-EU relations have seen many ups and downs over the years, but defense cooperation has been a constant through line.
Shared security interests serve as a foundation not just for Europe’s NATO allies, but also for their current considerations on the Russia invasion of Ukraine amid a US drawback from the continent – and what to do about it.
In this context, the mutual benefits of deeper defense ties between Turkey and European nations have increasingly become the subject of political rhetoric, as highlighted in state visits by UK PM Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ankara last week.
Yet, when it comes to Turkey’s growing defense sector, some nations’ security interests clash with other nations’ security concerns.
This is the case illustrated by recent reports about German officials allegedly pressing Athens to drop its veto on Turkey’s participation in the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, which aims to ramp up the bloc’s defense capacity.
If included, proponents argue Turkish firms would have a multiplying effect on EU defense readiness through its established manufacturing base and interoperable weapons systems.
At the same time, mutual distrust remains high between Ankara and EU members such as France, Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, where some policymakers see Turkey’s inclusion as validation for aggressive territorial policies in the Aegean Sea and North Cyprus.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Turkey recap to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.