"Europe Cannot Build Security Without Türkiye"

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Europe can no longer ignore Türkiye’s role in continental security, arguing that ideological barriers must be lifted for a realistic and sustainable defense framework.

Speaking to journalists aboard his return flight from Ethiopia, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed questions regarding Türkiye’s active role in NATO missions and exercises.

Erdoğan was asked whether Türkiye’s visible presence in NATO’s large-scale drill in Germany — alongside its F-16 fighter jets being urgently tasked to protect Baltic airspace — demonstrates that European security cannot be ensured without Türkiye’s strength and determination.

“Time Has Come to Include Türkiye”

Responding to the question, Erdoğan underlined that Türkiye has for years emphasized its potential contributions to the European Union and European security structures.

“The time has long come for Europe to include Türkiye in its existing defense and security mechanisms,” Erdoğan said. “The world is changing. In this era of rapid transformation, how long can the European Union remain captive to narrow agendas? It is not possible to understand this.”

He stressed that the right choice would be to remove ideological barriers standing in the way of Türkiye’s integration with Europe and to strengthen Europe by strengthening Türkiye.

“Attitudes that exclude Türkiye and ignore global realities are not rational,” he said. “If there is an intention to build a new defense architecture in Europe, it is clear that forming it without Türkiye would be an insufficient effort.”

Türkiye’s Prominent Role in NATO Drill

Türkiye took part in NATO’s large-scale military exercise in Germany with 2,000 troops from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). During the drill, the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle operated from the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship and successfully struck designated targets.

Erdoğan highlighted that the Turkish army is among the largest and most effective within NATO.

“The Turkish army today is one of the largest and most active armies in NATO. We have full confidence in our military. Thanks to this, we are not a country that merely talks at the table, but one that demonstrates its capabilities in the field,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Erdoğan expressed hope that it is now widely understood that a grounded and viable European security equation cannot be established without Türkiye.