Türkiye urges Europe to achieve security independence from America and end its exclusion
Turkey, which possesses the second-largest army in NATO, has called on Europe to reconsider its defense strategies and take direct responsibility for its own national security, instead of its long-standing and continuous reliance on the security umbrella of the United States. This came in statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who emphasized that international changes are imposing a new reality on the continent.
Warnings of changing US priorities
In a speech delivered at a high-level conference in Lisbon, Minister Fidan explained that the ongoing war in Ukraine, coupled with fundamental shifts in US strategic priorities, leaves Europe no room for hesitation in building its own security system. According to a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Fidan said, "As Europeans, we are all in the same boat. Ensuring the security of our own home is an existential necessity, and we cannot delegate our security to others indefinitely.".
This statement points to a geopolitical reading that Washington is gradually shifting its focus towards the Indo-Pacific region to counter rising Chinese influence, which could leave a security vacuum in Europe if EU countries do not move to fill it.
Criticism of European exclusion policies
In a related development, Fidan sharply criticized the European Union for its continued exclusion of Turkey from active participation in the bloc's security and defense frameworks, despite Ankara's status as a candidate for EU membership and its decades-long active role in NATO. The minister indicated that the "narrow national agendas" of some member states have come to dictate Europe's broader strategic interests, implicitly referring to political disagreements with certain EU countries that are hindering comprehensive defense cooperation.
Turkey's strategic importance to European security
These calls come at a time when European security faces unprecedented challenges since World War II. Historically, Turkey has formed NATO’s southeastern flank and played a crucial role in protecting Europe during the Cold War. Today, with the security landscape becoming increasingly complex, encompassing energy security, counterterrorism, and managing irregular migration, experts believe that attempting to build an independent European defense system without integrating Turkish military and logistical capabilities is strategic fantasy.
Turkey’s call for Europe to become self-reliant does not mean breaking away from NATO, but rather strengthening the European pillar within the alliance, while emphasizing that continuing the policy of excluding Ankara from joint European defense initiatives (such as PESCO) weakens the continent’s ability to respond quickly to the crises surrounding it in the Middle East and the Black Sea basin.
