Seven facts about EU- Turkey’s relations

On March 6, 2025, Kathimerini published an nonfiction I wrote titled “Greece indispensable set to Turkey’s increasing value for European security.” Instead of engaging with my investigation of the European equilibrium of powerfulness successful a respectful manner, chap Greeks insulted maine – someone who received decease threats for publically advocating that Turkey should beryllium expelled from NATO successful 2023 – arsenic a traitor.

The lone betrayal taking spot is theirs – the betrayal of reality.

Put simply, I argued that Washington is retreating from the aged continent, that Europe is seeking person ties with Turkey and Ukraine to capable the void near by America, and that Greece indispensable find a way to navigate this caller equilibrium of powerfulness without becoming isolated within Europe by Ankara.

Europe’s strategic alignment with Turkey has already been under way for months, if not years. Consider conscionable a fewer developments successful European-Turkish relations since Donald Trump was re-elected arsenic president of the United States.

First, aft astir 14 years of civilian war, Ankara helped the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham-led conjugation overthrow the Russia and Iran-backed dictator of Syria. Before that, I, similar galore others, argued that Turkey was leaning toward Moscow alternatively of Europe and Ukraine. That is evidently not the case.

Second, Portugal awarded a declaration to Turkish defence institution STM to physique logistics vessels for the Portuguese Navy. In fact, this was the archetypal clip that the Turkish authorities allowed STM to export subject vessels to an EU and NATO member-state.

Third, Spain signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkish Aerospace Industries to collaborate connected the Hurjet Trainer Aircraft project. Madrid intends to regenerate its aging fleet of F-5s with 24 Turkish-made Hurjets. General Francisco Braco Carbo, commandant of the Spanish Air Force, has since flown a enactment formation with his Turkish counterpart.

Fourth, Turkey is procuring Meteor missiles manufactured by a consortium of European companies including France’s Airbus, the United Kingdom’s BAE Systems, and Italy’s Leonardo, adjacent though Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis lobbied French President Emmanuel Macron to cancel the transaction connected the ground of Greece’s 2021 defence statement with France. 

Fifth, Turkish drone shaper Baykar acquired Italy’s struggling Piaggio Aerospace successful December. Yet information practice betwixt Ankara and Rome doesn’t extremity there. The aforesaid time that my nonfiction was published by Kathimerini, Italy’s Leonardo announced a associated venture to nutrient unmanned aerial vehicles with Turkey’s Baykar.

Sixth, Poland deployed a subject unit with Bayraktar TB2 drones to the Turkish Republic arsenic portion of NATO’s Tailored Assurance Measures for Turkey (TAMT). Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has since stated that Turkey indispensable play a much important relation successful European security, and is scheduled to conscionable with Turkish President Erdogan successful Ankara to sermon that adjacent week.

Seventh, Turkey has besides committed to deploying soldiers to Ukraine if the request should arise. This mightiness not mean overmuch successful Athens, but it makes waves successful Brussels, Paris, Berlin, London, Rome, Warsaw and Kyiv.

Most shocking of all, it is apt that this grounds hardly scratches the surface of Europe’s strategic alignment with Turkey.

Why? Because Russia succeeding successful Ukraine would beryllium terrible for Europe – particularly for Greece. Not lone since the equilibrium betwixt Athens (without Europe) and Ankara is little favorable than the powerfulness differential betwixt Kyiv and Moscow, but due to the fact that the precedent of a large state invading its smaller neighbour to annex its sovereign territory mightiness someday beryllium used against Greece itself – by Turkey.

Russia’s amerciable penetration of Ukraine and America’s retreat from Europe are superior crises. Moscow is perceived arsenic a menace crossed Europe. Ankara shares a akin perception. It seems Europe and Turkey request (or want) each different to antagonistic this threat, hence why British Prime Minister Keir Starmer invited Ankara to the exigency summit for Ukraine successful London while Greece’s invitation got mislaid successful the mail.

Most European capitals view Turkey arsenic an plus to displacement the equilibrium of powerfulness successful favour of Europe against Russia, adjacent if you don’t stock that perspective. It isn’t personal, conscionable International Relations 101. We disregard this world astatine our ain peril. 

George Monastiriakos

George Monastiriakos is simply a prof of instrumentality astatine the University of Ottawa.