Source: European Parliament
The EU leadership has recurrently underlined that the EU has a strategic interest in a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the development of a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Türkiye[1].
Türkiye is a candidate country, a key partner in several areas of joint interest and a longstanding partner in the Common Security and Defence Policy .
Nonetheless, accession negotiations with the country remain at a standstill since 2018, as Türkiye has not reversed the negative trend of continued deterioration of democratic standards noted in the past years[2].
Respect of rule of law and progressive alignment with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy are integral parts of the EU-Türkiye relationship.
The EU recognises the contribution of all non-EU Allies, including Türkiye, to the European and Transatlantic security. The EU is engaging with Türkiye on a phased, proportionate and reversible manner in line with the November 2023 recommendations of the Joint Communication on the state of play of the EU-Türkiye relations[3] and the conclusions of the European Council of April 2024[4].
The White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030[5] recalls that EU actions will take into consideration the security and defence interests of all Member States, while reaffirming the key role that like-minded partners can play to strengthen European security and defence.
The proposed Regulation on Security Action for Europe[6] is under discussion in the Council and the conditions for cooperation with partners will be settled in this regulation, once adopted, following a two-step approach: first, joining joint procurement activities; second, negotiating an agreement with the EU to allow its defence industry to supply Member States.
- [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/m5jlwe0p/euco-conclusions-20240417-18-en.pdf.
- [2] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7c67aed6-e7c2-47de-b3f8-b3edd26a3e26_en?filename=COM_2024_690_1_EN_ACT_part1_v11.pdf.
- [3] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-11/Joint%20Communication%20to%20the%20European%20Council%20-%20State%20of%20play%20of%20EU-Turkiye%20political%2C%20economic%20and%20trade%20relations.pdf.
- [4] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/m5jlwe0p/euco-conclusions-20240417-18-en.pdf.
- [5] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/introducing-white-paper-european-defence-and-rearm-europe-plan-readiness-2030_en.
- [6] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6d6f889c-e58d-4caa-8f3b-8b93154fe206_en?filename=SAFE%20Regulation.pdf.