Türkiye Seeks Full EU Membership, Erdoğan Says Europe Needs Ankara for Security

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Türkiye’s renewed push for full European Union, emphasizing that Ankara can play a crucial role in addressing Europe’s security challenges, particularly those related to Ukraine, as reported by Dzerkalo Tyzhnia on March 10.

“We want to develop relations with the European Union based on common interests, mutual respect, and with a focus on full membership,” Erdoğan stated.

The Turkish leader highlighted growing concerns within the EU about security, particularly in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. He suggested that Türkiye’s balanced and principled approach since the start of the war is now being better understood in Europe.

“The European Union is trying to cope with one of the biggest security challenges of recent times. The significance of Türkiye’s balanced, consistent, and principled position since the first day of the Russia-Ukraine war is now being understood even better,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan also urged European leaders to recognize Türkiye’s strategic role in the evolving geopolitical landscape.

“We hope our European friends will recognize the role of the new Türkiye in a changing world and shape their strategies accordingly. I believe that once this mutual understanding is achieved, relations between Türkiye and Europe will develop rapidly in all areas.”

He reinforced Türkiye’s position as a pivotal player for European security, referencing a Turkish idiom about a “last exit before the bridge”—implying that Europe is approaching a critical decision point where Türkiye’s inclusion could be key to stability.

Previously, it was reported that Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army after the U.S., is open to deploying troops for a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.