16.05.2025, 20:12
Zitat:Turkey has expressed interest in becoming a part of a new European security architecture.
Against a backdrop of the mayhem caused by the first 100 days of the Trump administration, Europe is faced with a number of awkward choices. First and foremost, it needs to create a European security architecture in the event that America withdraws from or substantially diminishes its presence in NATO.
American Vice President JD Vance made it plain in his address to the Munich Security Conference in February when he told participants that in the coming years, Europe must step up in a big way to provide for its own defense. But this is nothing new. This has been in the offing for years since Donald Trump’s first period of office.
In 2014, at the NATO summit in Wales in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the member states agreed to commit 2 percent of their GDP to defense spending. Nevertheless, in 2017, during his first term in office, President Trump made it plain that all members of the alliance must pay their fair share of defense spending.
Three years later, Trump blasted Berlin for low defense spending, and the Pentagon planned to withdraw almost 12,000 troops from Germany. In January of this year, Trump planned to cut the U.S. troop presence in Europe by about 20 percent, or 20,000 troops, as part of a review of Washington’s commitment to protecting Europe. This number was later reported to be 10,000 in April. However, it was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that really galvanized Europe into action.
For example, in July last year, the Atlantic Council noted a surge in defense spending, with Poland in the lead but with southern European countries (Portugal, Spain, and Italy) still remiss.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/can...k-together
Zitat:The gap between Europe and Turkey for establishing a closer, long-term security relationship has significantly narrowed.
In light of changing U.S. security priorities, European nations have been considering ways to enhance their own defense capabilities. However, in the short term, it may not be feasible. First, this would require substantial financial resources, which some NATO members still struggle to allocate. Seven European NATO members have not even reached the 2 percent threshold. Second, Europe’s current level of industrial capacity may hinder the production of military equipment at the necessary scale.
Given these challenges, Turkey’s potential role in European security is gaining attention, particularly following the latest meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey in February. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed interest in deploying Turkish forces in Ukraine to enhance the defensive credibility of a potential peace agreement with Russia.
Turkey’s involvement in European security is not new. Turkey is a longstanding NATO-member, and defense cooperation with Europe has expanded in recent years. For example, in 2023, the United Kingdom signed a closer military cooperation agreement with Turkey. Additionally, France is in talks to sell next-generation Meteor missiles to Turkey despite concerns from Greece. Moreover, in addition to the recent London summit, Turkey is expected to be a part of the next EU summit invited by the German chancellor Olaf Scholz.
As the second-largest army in NATO, with approximately 402,000 military personnel, Turkey has much to offer regarding security. First, deterring potential future Russian aggression against Ukraine could be achieved. As a NATO member, Turkey’s deployment of troops near Ukraine’s borders could act as a deterrent, since any attack on them might risk triggering a wider NATO response.
Second, Turkey has a well-developed and expanding defense industry that could contribute to rebuilding not only Ukraine’s military but also the armed forces of other underdeveloped European nations. In 2024 alone, Turkish defense and aerospace exports surpassed $7 billion, with a significant portion of sales directed to Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Given the urgency of the current threat, strengthening cooperation with Turkey could help accelerate Europe’s military readiness, an effort that might otherwise take years.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how...end-europe