Istanbul, Turkiye: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye’s European security ties must include Ankara in all continental defence structures before a NATO summit in the Turkish capital.
Erdogan made the remarks on Monday to delegates from all 32 NATO member states at a parliamentary meeting in Istanbul. He said Turkiye wanted to participate in all European defence and security initiatives.
The remarks came before a NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara. The summit comes as Europe reviews its defences against Russia and weighs the risk of a reduced United States role in the alliance.
Erdogan said Turkiye’s contributions to European security were sometimes overlooked. He urged lawmakers to support Turkiye’s inclusion in European Union defence and security initiatives.
The issue includes Turkiye’s access to the European Union’s 150-billion-euro Security Action for Europe initiative. The scheme, also known as SAFE, aims to strengthen European defence capabilities.
Although Turkiye can seek access, approval from all 27 members of the European Union is required. Greece has threatened to block the move.
🇹🇷 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Summit in Istanbul:
Euro-Atlantic security is going through a historic turning point. Threats such as war, crises, terrorism and irregular migration, especially along the eastern and… pic.twitter.com/wJxZE2YQmj
— News.Az (@news_az) June 29, 2026Erdogan also urged NATO members to remove barriers to trade in defence industries within the alliance.
Read: NATO Summit Accreditation Row Hits Türkiye Media
He said allies needed fair burden-sharing and fewer obstacles to defence trade. Turkiye has NATO’s second-largest army after the United States and a growing defence industry.
However, US sanctions linked to Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defence system have strained ties.
Washington also removed Turkiye from the F-35 fighter program after the purchase. Analysts expected talks to focus on US-made F110 engines for Turkiye’s KAAN fighter jet program.
