Erdoğan calls for stronger EU ties with focus on full membership bid

ANKARA

Türkiye seeks to strengthen ties with the European Union through a perspective focused on full membership, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, adding that the bloc is struggling to manage one of its biggest recent security challenges.

"We want to advance our relations with the European Union on the basis of common interests and mutual respect and with an approach focused on full membership. We would like to remind them once more that Türkiye is the last exit before the bridge,” Erdoğan said in his speech following a cabinet meeting on March 10.

He called on European leaders to recognize Türkiye’s strategic role in the evolving global order and to shape their policies accordingly.

“We expect our European friends to understand Türkiye’s role in the world that is being restructured and determine their strategies accordingly,” Erdoğan said. "Once a shared understanding is established, I believe Türkiye-EU relations will rapidly flourish across all areas."

Recalling his participation in a videoconference meeting organized by the EU on March 7, Erdoğan said that the recent debates, particularly regarding Ukraine, have raised concerns among EU member states.

European leaders have recently moved to accelerate military buildup efforts and establish a new deterrent structure, following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting Washington may reconsider its security commitments to Europe.

Türkiye has emerged as one of the non-EU NATO countries that can possibly contribute to European security as the second-largest army of the alliance.

“To be honest, the EU is trying to handle one of the greatest security challenges in the recent period,” Erdoğan said.

"The significance of Türkiye’s balanced, consistent and principled approach since the beginning of the [Ukraine-Russia] war is now being better understood. We have repeatedly stressed that lasting peace cannot be achieved without the involvement of both Russia and Ukraine," the president said.

His remarks came after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to visit Türkiye to discuss Ankara’s potential role in bolstering European security.

Expressing concerns over regional security, Tusk said his government began exploring "non-standard formats" to strengthen Poland’s defense capabilities, with Türkiye seen as a key partner in these efforts.

"All indications suggest that Türkiye is ready for this," he said, adding that discussions in Ankara would focus on how Türkiye could deepen its involvement in Europe’s security initiatives.