Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged European nations to fully include Turkiye in the continent’s defence and security architecture, days before a key Nato summit scheduled to take place in Ankara on July 7–8.
His remarks come as European countries seek to strengthen their defence capabilities amid concerns over Russia’s growing threat and the possibility of reduced US military involvement in Nato.
“Turkiye’s indispensable contributions to European security are sometimes overlooked,” Erdogan told parliamentary delegates from all 32 Nato member states in Istanbul, saying Turkiye wanted “to participate in all defence and security initiatives” on the continent.
A key issue is Turkiye’s participation in the European Union’s €150 billion ($176bn) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, which is designed to enhance Europe’s defence capabilities.
Although Turkiye is technically eligible to join the initiative, unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states is required, with Greece signalling that it may oppose Ankara’s participation.
“We expect your support, lawmakers, for Turkiye’s inclusion in the defence and security initiatives announced by the European Union,” Erdogan told them.
The Turkish president also called on Nato members to eliminate restrictions on defence industry trade within the alliance.
“If we want to overcome the challenges we face, we need to remove obstacles to defence industry trade while ensuring a balanced and fair burden-sharing among allies,” he said.
Turkiye possesses Nato’s second-largest military after the United States and has significantly expanded its domestic defence industry through a series of bilateral defence agreements.
However, Ankara’s defence sector continues to face US sanctions imposed after its purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defence system. The acquisition also resulted in Turkiye’s removal from the US-led F-35 fighter jet programme, straining relations between the two Nato allies.
While Washington has expressed interest in resolving the dispute, lifting the CAATSA sanctions requires approval from the US Congress, making a breakthrough before the upcoming summit unlikely, according to observers.
US President Donald Trump has nevertheless said he intends to offer Erdogan something that would make him “very happy” when he visits Turkiye for the Nato summit alongside other world leaders.
Analysts believe the gesture could involve the delivery of several dozen US-made F110 engines needed for Turkiye’s domestically developed fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet programme. Delivery of the engines has remained blocked since the CAATSA sanctions were imposed.
