President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Turkey seeks to enhance its relationship with the European Union through a perspective centered on full membership, emphasizing that the bloc is struggling to address one of its biggest recent security challenges.
“We aim to advance our relations with the European Union based on common interests and mutual respect, with an approach focused on full membership. Let us remind them once again that Turkey is the last exit before the bridge,” Erdoğan remarked in a speech following a cabinet meeting on March 10.
He urged European leaders to acknowledge Turkey’s strategic role in the evolving global order and shape their policies accordingly.
“We expect our European partners to recognize Turkey’s role in a world that is being restructured and adjust their strategies accordingly,” Erdoğan said. “Once a shared understanding is established, I believe Turkey-EU relations will flourish rapidly across all areas.”
Reflecting on his participation in an EU videoconference on March 7, Erdoğan noted that recent discussions, particularly regarding Ukraine, have raised concerns among EU member states.
European leaders have recently accelerated military buildup efforts and are establishing a new deterrent structure following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting that Washington may reconsider its security commitments to Europe.
Turkey has become one of the non-EU NATO countries that could contribute to European security, being the second-largest army in the alliance.
“To be honest, the EU is facing one of the greatest security challenges in recent times,” Erdoğan stated.
“The importance of Turkey’s balanced, consistent, and principled approach since the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia war is now being better understood. We have repeatedly emphasized that lasting peace cannot be achieved without the involvement of both Russia and Ukraine,” Erdoğan added.
His remarks came after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to visit Turkey to discuss its potential role in enhancing European security.
Expressing concerns over regional security, Tusk said his government began exploring “non-standard formats” to strengthen Poland’s defense capabilities, with Turkey seen as a key partner in these efforts.
“All indications suggest that Turkey is ready for this,” he stated, adding that discussions in Ankara would focus on how Turkey could deepen its involvement in Europe’s security initiatives.