Speaking at a joint news conference with his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen on Wednesday in Helsinki, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for Türkiye’s inclusion in the EU’s defense initiatives.
Türkiye’s top diplomat pointed out Türkiye’s role in Europe’s security as a key NATO member. “It is crucial to include Türkiye in the EU’s defense and security initiatives, primarily the SAFE mechanism,” he said. SAFE, or Security Action for Europe, is a new financial instrument of the bloc that aims to support member states in defense industrial production through common procurement. Ankara repeatedly called for its inclusion in the mechanism, but it faces opposition from some members, most prominently its neighbor, Greece.
Türkiye also aims for accession to the EU, a bid long stalled by several members. Fidan said they appreciated Finland’s support for their membership bid “since the very beginning.” “We have to tackle the EU’s relations with our country with a long-term, realistic vision. We need a vision that will carry our cooperation forward,” Fidan said, adding that it was of mutual interest to make progress, especially in dialogue over visa liberalization. “We have no change in our goal of membership. EU is incomplete without Türkiye,” he said.
Türkiye has been a candidate for EU membership for over two decades, but talks stalled in 2016 over what Ankara says is the bloc’s “insistence on politicizing the issue.” The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday rejected the European Commission’s 2025 Türkiye Report, denouncing its claims on the judiciary, fundamental rights and domestic politics as “biased, prejudiced and baseless.”
“We reject the biased, prejudiced and groundless allegations in the report regarding the judiciary, fundamental rights and internal political developments,” the ministry said in a statement.
“These remarks are incompatible with efforts to establish a positive agenda between Türkiye and the EU and contradict the long-term interests of both sides.” The statement said that despite “unfair political obstacles” in the accession process, the report’s acknowledgment of Türkiye’s high level of alignment with EU market standards and its sound macroeconomic policies reflects Ankara’s continued commitment to its strategic goal of EU membership.
"From where we stand, Europe is on the threshold of a new strategic equation. The EU and Türkiye must advance their current integration process without delay and without relying on any pretext. As the government, we are putting strong political will behind this issue,” Fidan said.
Fidan also touched on the issue of recognition of the State of Palestine and the situation in Gaza, two issues linked to each other, according to Ankara. He said they hoped that Finland would join other countries in recognizing Palestine, though acknowledged that it may have its own dynamics not to move forward with recognition.
The minister called for sustaining the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, though he lamented the killing of 250 Palestinians in the Israeli attacks since the cease-fire began. “The international community should fulfill its responsibility to ensure cease-fire will prevail,” he said.
