Erdogan urges Turkey's full inclusion in European defense

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for Turkey’s full integration into European defense initiatives and the removal of trade barriers among NATO allies, speaking to parliamentarians from the alliance’s 32 member states in Istanbul on Monday. His remarks set the stage for a NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara, which Turkey will host.

Erdogan argued that Euro-Atlantic security is at a historic turning point, facing wars, terrorism, and migration pressures that require a new collective approach. He stated that Turkey, with its extensive military capabilities and strategic border with conflict regions, is an indispensable contributor to European security and should not be excluded from the continent’s emerging defense architecture for narrow political reasons.

Central to Ankara’s push is gaining access to the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, a 150-billion-euro defense loans scheme. While Turkey is eligible in principle, participation requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states, and Greece has signaled it may block Turkey’s entry.

The Turkish president also urged NATO allies to lift restrictions on defense industry...