As Trump rattles Europe, can Turkey and EU jumpstart defense ties?
Turkey and the EU face tough choices and opportunities to cooperate in the field of defense and security during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Although Turkey’s EU membership is stalled, shifting global dynamics — especially due to persistent Russian threats and potential tensions between Europe and US President Donald Trump’s administration — necessitate defense cooperation between Ankara and the European club.
At the EU’s first-ever defense summit in Brussels on Monday, heads of state and government from member states — along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — discussed Europe’s defense gaps in planning, budgeting and production. Turkey, though still an EU candidate, was not invited.
While the summit ended without much fanfare or many concrete results, experts pointed out to Al-Monitor that Turkey is already immersed in Europe’s defense industrial ecosystem.
Good news
