The European Union not consulting with Türkiye – an important actor in the Ukraine-Russia war – on a new military training mission for Kyiv reflects the lack of strategic thinking in the bloc, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Tuesday.
"First, I have to say that we (Türkiye) are very happy to see the unity within the EU and NATO. The EU announced a new security training mission for Ukraine. And yet again, it ignored consulting with Türkiye before launching that mission," Çavuşoğlu underscored at the Aspen-GMF Bucharest Forum in Romania.
On Nov. 14, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that EU foreign ministers were expected to give the green light for a training mission for some 15,000 Ukrainian troops.
Çavuşoğlu said that while it was not "important" whether Türkiye would be part of the mission, this was "an example of how the EU lost its strategic thinking because of the narrow interests of a few members states."
"I say we don't need (to be part of the mission) because individually, everybody knows how much we are supporting Ukraine," he added.
Emphasizing the need to "rediscover the spirit of unity to ensure the new European security," the top Turkish diplomat said a "natural extension to that vision is being inclusive and reviving the enlargement prospects of the EU."
Türkiye has the longest history with the union and the longest negotiation process. The country signed an association agreement with the EU's predecessor in 1964, the European Economic Community (EEC), which is usually regarded as a first step to eventually becoming a candidate.
Applying for official candidacy in 1987, Türkiye had to wait until 1999 to be granted the status of a candidate country. For the start of the negotiations, however, Türkiye had to wait for another six years, until 2005, a uniquely long process compared with other candidates.
"Enlargement should extend from the Balkans to Georgia, including Ukraine and Moldova. And, this region cannot be complete without my country, Türkiye," he added.
"Imagine the impact the Istanbul grain deal or of the other efforts would have on the EU's global outreach, if the EU engaged with us, with my country, Türkiye."
Türkiye enabled a prisoner swap between the warring countries. Also, Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – a development that has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis.
Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.
In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29. Türkiye also hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya in March.