Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged the European Union to include Türkiye in its defense and security initiatives, arguing that Europe’s security architecture cannot be effective without Ankara’s participation.
Speaking during talks in Ankara with European Commission Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, Fidan stressed that Türkiye’s full EU membership remains a strategic objective, while calling for broader and more institutional cooperation between Ankara and Brussels.
According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, Fidan underlined the need to revitalize consultation mechanisms between Türkiye and the EU, including the resumption of the Türkiye-EU Partnership Council and high-level dialogue mechanisms on political affairs, energy and transportation.
The meeting comes days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on the European Union to abandon what he described as “strategic blindness” in its relations with Türkiye and adopt a more inclusive approach.
Fidan also reiterated Ankara’s expectations for restarting negotiations on the modernization of the customs union and advancing visa liberalization talks.
Security and defense cooperation were among the key topics of discussion, particularly as Europe debates how to strengthen its own security amid uncertainty over the future scale of U.S. military presence on the continent.
Fidan said Türkiye should be included in EU-led defense initiatives, regional security projects and strategic programs, arguing that European security cannot be separated from Türkiye’s role within NATO.
Ankara has long argued that EU defense policies should complement NATO structures rather than duplicate them, while also involving non-EU NATO allies more actively.
The issue is expected to feature prominently at the upcoming NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara in July, especially in discussions surrounding NATO-EU cooperation.
The two officials also discussed developments in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, including growing tensions between the United States and Iran, which Turkish officials say continue to threaten regional and global stability.