As global conflicts have surged and security has become a top agenda for the international community, a fairer system and transformation is needed in Europe and globally, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday.
“As the European continent, we must start transformation at home based on principles of indivisible security, fairer distribution of prosperity,” Erdoğan said at the sixth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Albania.
“At this critical time when we are discussing the future of Europe’s security, efforts by the EU to develop its defense industry are beneficial,” he added. The president had previously pointed to the need for increased security and defense cooperation between Brussels and Ankara in the new insecure global context.
With U.S. President Donald Trump seeking a shift in trans-Atlantic relations, the European Union weighs a joint defense alliance instead of relying on U.S. military support. Although Washington is the leading force of NATO, the new president’s remarks that it was up to Europe, not the United States, to provide security guarantees to Ukraine further raised concerns.
The EU, which seeks to share its topics of discussion and planned steps with NATO’s leading countries in defense, has created a platform for the exchange of ideas under the name of “like-minded countries” for the security of the continent.
Türkiye, both a candidate country for the EU and a NATO ally, has also joined the platform, boasting defense industry breakthroughs in recent years.
On the Istanbul peace talks to achieve a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia, Erdoğan said: “Due to the sensitivity of the process, encouraging the parties without imposing anything is very important in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
He also touched upon the continuing war in Gaza, saying that Ankara expects Brussels to show the necessary enthusiasm and interest for the establishment of a cease-fire in Gaza.
“We must mobilize all our resources to ensure a permanent cease-fire, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and to make Gaza livable again.”
In terms of bilateral ties between Türkiye and the European Union, Erdoğan urged the bloc to renew the customs union, which would lead to the securing of supply chains and facilitate visa process.
“Visa practices such as Schengen, which limit the mobility of our citizens, consequently, the circulation of goods, services, capital must be reevaluated.”
Erdoğan was welcomed at Tirana International Airport by Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, Turkish Ambassador to Tirana Tayyar Kağan Atay, and an embassy delegation.
Accompanying Erdoğan are Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chair Halit Yerebakan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Akif Çağatay Kılıç, chief presidential adviser on foreign policy and security.
The theme of the summit in Tirana is “New Europe in a new world: unity – cooperation – joint action.”
The EPC forum is French President Emmanuel Macron’s brainchild, and was backed by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, aiming to boost security and prosperity across the continent. But critics claimed it was an attempt by them to put the brakes on EU enlargement.
The 2022 inaugural summit involved the EU’s 27 member countries, aspiring partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as neighbors like the U.K. – the only country to have left the EU – and Türkiye.
Russia is the one major European power not invited, along with Belarus, its neighbor and supporter in the war with Ukraine.
The next EPC meeting will take place in Denmark later this year.
Türkiye’s role in EU security
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized Thursday that Türkiye will continue to play a crucial role in European security.
“As NATO’s second-largest military, Türkiye will continue to play a crucial role in the European security architecture through its military capabilities and defense industry infrastructure,” Fidan told a press conference following a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya, southern Türkiye.
He emphasized that the discussions in Antalya reaffirmed NATO’s leading role in the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, adding that Europe’s security cannot be considered separately from NATO.
Fidan emphasized NATO’s strong determination to maintain the spirit of unity and solidarity, which has been its most valuable asset to date. He said efforts must continue to transform this determination into concrete actions.
He also noted that the EU has recently announced several defense initiatives, which will only be effective if they are open to all NATO members.
“In such a period, our expectation is that all steps in the field of security should be taken without unnecessary repetition, divergence or detachment from NATO,” Fidan said, adding that they raised these issues in both alliance-wide meetings and bilateral talks.
He added that Trump’s statements about the U.S. withdrawing from certain aspects of Europe’s security architecture, as well as his suggestions for Europeans to become more self-sufficient and share defense burdens more equally, were well received at the meetings.
He pointed out that European countries have launched a program to reduce their reliance on the U.S. in defense, focusing on financial aspects such as constitutional changes in Germany, policy shifts in EU institutions and the removal of debt limits in national budgets.
Fidan emphasized that one of Türkiye’s strategic political priorities has been to foster its role both from the EU perspective and within NATO.