Hakan Fidan: European security is not limited to the EU — Turkey plays a central role in it

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that European security cannot be reduced exclusively to the European Union, as it requires a more holistic approach.

In this regard, he emphasized Turkey's central role.

Speaking at the event "European Security After the Ankara Summit: Strengthening Cooperation Among NATO Allies Across Europe," organized by the Center for Strategic Research at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with Chatham House, Fidan said that in the new period NATO should focus on building strategic capacity. He noted that the alliance should stop being a structure that merely reacts to current threats and develop a more long-term and comprehensive vision of security.

The Turkish minister stated that despite existing disagreements between the United States and Europe, they will not escalate into an uncontrolled crisis at the NATO summit and can be resolved. Fidan added that the most difficult task was convincing U.S. President Donald Trump to attend the summit, but after achieving this goal the most challenging stage had been passed. In his view, Trump's participation in the NATO summit is important for managing existing problems.

The head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry again emphasized that European security cannot be confined to the framework of the EU and that it requires a broader approach in which Turkey plays a central role.

Fidan noted that Turkey supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. At the same time, he said, maintaining open diplomatic contacts and channels of dialogue with Russia is also necessary to ensure European security.

The minister stressed that NATO's defense industry potential should not be viewed solely through the lens of the EU. According to him, countries such as Turkey and the United Kingdom, which possess developed defense industries, are natural and necessary participants in defense cooperation within the framework of European security.

Fidan also stated that Europe should not perceive U.S. calls for a fairer burden-sharing as psychological pressure or a threat. In his opinion, European countries should take on greater responsibility.

He noted that strengthening Europe's defense capability is necessary not only for the future of NATO but also for enhancing the strategic resilience of the European continent itself. According to the minister, the NATO summit in Ankara will not be dominated by an atmosphere of mutual accusations between Europe and the United States.

Source: Anadolu