Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in sum that Turkiye supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and calls for peace. He underlined the need to establish a strong diplomatic ground to bring both parties to the negotiating table. Erdoğan indicated that the Turkish defence industry and private sector continue to support Ukraine despite the challenges of war. Erdoğan said, “It is important for us to be included in mechanisms like the European Peace Facility, which aims to reconstruct and revitalise Ukraine.”
Erdoğan has also talked about Turkiye’s position in the European Union from a Defence and Security perspective. He indicated that the safety and security of Europe should be planned with Türkiye. Erdoğan indicated that ongoing challenges show that Türkiye-EU relations are critical, especially in the defence industry. He stated that Turkiye is ready to support the European defence sector and said,” We believe there is no justification for excluding us from the European Union’s defence products procurement and reconstruction programs.”
Erdoğan underlined the importance of taking steps with a long-term strategic view of Türkiye-EU ties, which will benefit both sides. He said, “We believe that planning all steps for European security together with Türkiye will be in our mutual interest.” He reminded that it is important to receive US's support on this matter. Erdoğan said lastly “We maintain our goal of full membership. We expect the EU to adopt a strategic and visionary stance and to revive our membership negotiations.”
