Türkiye to urge EU to intensify cooperation against hybrid threats

Serkan Demirtaş - ANKARA

The Turkish foreign minister is set to emphasize at a crucial meeting in Warsaw on May 8 that Türkiye and the European Union should enhance cooperation to address security threats, including hybrid ones, and establish effective intelligence-sharing mechanisms.

Hakan Fidan will attend the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers along with other participants upon the invitation of the EU term president, Poland, Turkish diplomatic sources informed.

Dubbed the Gymnich meetings, ministers from 27 EU countries, as well as other invited parties, will discuss the latest developments in the context of the Russian occupation of Ukraine and the continued dialogue for the creation of a new security architecture in the European continent.

According to the sources, the Warsaw meeting constitutes a significant opportunity for reinforcing dialogue channels between Ankara and Brussels with the objective of taking concrete steps in bilateral ties.

In Warsaw, Fidan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his colleagues from EU members, candidate countries and the European Commission’s high representative for security and foreign policy, Kaja Kallas.

The meetings will pave the way for the participant ministers to exchange views on Europe’s foreign and security policy, particularly increasing its resilience against hybrid threats, the sources recalled.

Fidan will underline the vital importance of the strategic cooperation between NATO and the EU and the need for Türkiye and the EU to develop cooperation and intelligence sharing against hybrid threats.

He will also recall Türkiye’s counterterrorism efforts in its region as a stabilizing factor and call for meaningful support from European partners, the sources said.

Another important message Fidan will convey will be the need for the inclusion of non-EU allies, such as Türkiye, Britain and Norway, in the EU initiatives for the reinforcement of the defense industry capacity.

 Türkiye’s EU process also on agenda

During the meetings, Fidan is also expected to emphasize Türkiye’s concrete expectations from the EU for strengthening the bilateral ties in a predictable and sustainable manner. The continuation of structural dialogue mechanisms, modernization of the customs union and addressing visa problems are among Ankara’s priorities, the sources said.

The fact that Fidan was invited to the Gymnich meeting in Warsaw is considered as the reflection of determined policy Ankara has been following over ties with Brussels.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently been voicing that full membership to the bloc is still Türkiye’s strategic objective, something which EU leaders could not remain indifferent to. The need for close cooperation with Türkiye in the face of global challenges has led the EU to recall the former’s candidacy status, according to those who follow ties with Brussels closely.

They believe the improvement of Türkiye-EU ties offers an important venue for both sides to increase regional solidarity and jointly address common threats, especially at a time when geopolitical uncertainties are mounting and economic fluctuations affecting wider geographies.

Many underscore the importance of the invitation extended to Fidan as an indication of a probable new momentum in Türkiye-EU ties.