EU sees Türkiye as a security player

Serkan Demirtaş - BRUSSELS

The European Union sees Türkiye as a security player with whom it can undertake joint projects and procurements in the defense industry, the 27-member bloc's foreign policy chief has said, underlining that recent changes in European security dynamics due to the Trump administration would make security cooperation with Türkiye stronger.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign and security policy, came together with a group of Turkish journalists visiting Brussels on June 19 and answered a few questions on regional issues as well as on Türkiye-EU ties.

On a question about Türkiye’s full participation in the EU’s efforts to strengthen the European defense industry and create a new European security architecture, Kallas recalled that decisions taken by the EU have created an 800 billion euro package to support and boost the European defense industry under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument.

This money is meant to serve as leverage for members states to benefit from via loans to upgrade their defense industry or to cooperate with partner countries like Türkiye as a candidate country.

“The EU countries are buying over 60 percent of their military equipment from the United States, which means that — we have seen after the Ukraine war — we need to make our defense industry stronger,” she stated.

The idea behind SAFE and other instruments is not protectionist, Kallas suggested, saying, “There are places where we can have procurements together with partner countries like Türkiye.”

“The whole point behind it is that we push for more joint projects and joint procurements. Türkiye, as a candidate country, has access to SAFE loans through joint projects with EU countries,” Kallas informed, adding “Therefore we definitely see Türkiye as a security player.”

On a question how security cooperation between Türkiye and the EU can change following the Trump administration’s vows to withdraw from the European security theater, Kallas recalled that the new administration in Washington “has new ways of operating which has changed the dynamics in NATO.”

“When it comes to the EU, a lot of our partners, reliable and predictable partners want to cooperate with us. This has made our relations with our partners stronger. We want the same things and security of our neighborhood. I think this is also in the interest of Türkiye,” she stated.

On the war between Israel and Iran, Kallas described the escalation in the Middle East as very worrying, including the former’s attacks on the Iranian nuclear sites and the potential spillover of the conflict.

Grateful for Türkiye’s mediation

“When it comes to the EU, we have always been in favor of diplomacy and peaceful solutions,” Kallas said, stressing the importance of reducing the tension in the region. “The risks of miscalculation are very high."

On Türkiye’s role, she recalled that Istanbul has become a place where a lot of meetings have recently taken place, obviously referring to the Russia-Ukraine negotiations as well as nuclear talks between Iran and prominent European countries.

“Therefore, everybody is grateful to Türkiye for its mediation role,” she stressed.

On recent political developments in Türkiye, including the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the high representative has underlined that they have expectations from Türkiye, as a candidate country, on human rights and democracy.

“Backsliding on human rights and democracy in Türkiye is very concerning to us. I have addressed these issues with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in my meetings in Ankara,” she said.