OPINION - EU Foreign Ministers' meeting: Türkiye plays crucial role in European defense mechanism

By Valeria Giannotta

- The writer is an Italian academic specializing in political science and international relations. She is the scientific director of Observatory in Türkiye by CeSPI.

ISTANBUL (AA) — After five years, Türkiye has again participated in the EU foreign ministers' meeting, which was informally held in Brussels on Aug. 29. At a crucial time for Europe, the entire region, and the whole global system, the presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan among the diplomatic heads of the group of 27 marks an important milestone in the relationship between Ankara and the EU, underlying Türkiye’s key role in several international dossiers.

- Stability, security, and solidarity in the face of international challenges

Given several regional and international challenges putting the stability of Europe and of the entire area at risk, dialogue and greater engagement with Türkiye has become a strategic imperative for the EU. For a long time, a war has been waged on Europe's doorstep that, in addition to undermining the stability and the traditional balance of power in the region and beyond, has repercussions for the security of European countries, not only in terms of their military strategies, but also managements of their supply chains and economies.

Unfortunately, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to escalating violence, worrying senior European decision makers. Diplomatic dialogue and mediation is therefore becoming the only option to contain the threat and sign a truce. Due to EU countries' sanctions on Russia, the only mediating actor able to provide feasible opportunities towards stabilization is Türkiye. Indeed, since the outbreak of hostilities, Ankara has displayed strong diplomatic commitment as a balancing actor between the parties. Türkiye enabled diplomatic contacts between the warring parties in Antalya and Istanbul and played a significant part in the creation of the so-called "grain corridor." More recently, the prisoner swap operation mediated by Türkiye has been internationally sealed as "the largest prisoners exchange between East and West since the Cold War." Western political leaders expressed their sincere gratitude towards allied countries, especially Türkiye "who stands out for the remarkable mediation role," as expressed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Ankara has also distinguished itself for its diplomatic zeal in other areas, as negotiation attempts between Israel and Hamas. This attempt also raises it as an essential interlocutor to guarantee regional and international stability.

- Türkiye as the EU's inevitable strategic ally

Ankara's historical commitment to Western institutions, demonstrated by its longstanding NATO membership and candidacy for the EU, naturally makes it a first-class strategic ally of the European bloc. Hence, Türkiye's engagement with the EU is vital for the stability of the West and the defense of Western core values. It should not be overlooked that Türkiye has the second-largest army in NATO, a factor that will continue to have increasing value considering Ankara's geostrategic significance and the growing role of its defense sector. As is evident by the synergy between the two sides, Türkiye could play an increasingly significant role for Europe's defense, currently undertaken by the US.

Türkiye is an essential partner in other common challenges, as well. Migration is a dossier in which Ankara has invested a lot in order to contain the risks and honor its pact with Europe. This is accompanied by its fight against human trafficking, terrorism, and international crime. However, the backbone of Turkish-European cooperation pivots on complementary economic relations and energy supply. Thanks to Ankara's energy diversification policies, as an energy corridor it is now an important strategic partner to the EU. Furthermore, Türkiye is a major EU trade partner, with bilateral commerce flows growing constantly over the years to reach €206 billion (about $227 billion) in 2023. Those important figures could also be maximized through the modernization of the Customs Union, an issue that has long been pending, together with the liberalization of visas for Turkish nationals. All this evidence provides a clear image of the extent of EU-Türkiye relations, which certainly goes well beyond a simple transactional nature or "third-state" treatment to which Ankara has been confined for too long by the bloc.

Those points have been touched upon during the last informal meeting of EU ministers of foreign affairs, which hosted discussions on the need to revitalize relations along with the resumption of the negotiation process. Indeed, most EU delegates have demonstrated a positive attitude on the importance of Türkiye as a candidate state and, surprisingly, on the need to find a solution on the Cyprus issue, supporting the proposal of activating a UN-led mechanism.

- Uncertainties and Türkiye's essential role

As narrowing the margins of regional frictions has become an imperative for the EU, the timing of the meeting marking the return of Türkiye to the table is highly significant. Currently, the EU faces various uncertainties, mainly related to the course of European politics under new leadership, as well as the outcome of next November's US elections. The main question is on how the bloc, which in the last five years increasingly aligned itself with Washington's strategic priorities and diktat, will manage Europe's priorities. Although the challenges may remain unchanged in matrix, they are increasing in magnitude by generating further spillover. The American unknown and the regional instability pose no small headaches to Brussels. The Borrell, its top foreign policy official, has encouraged Turkish participation in the meeting with the intent of leaving an imprint on the direction of European foreign affairs. Indeed, fostering close relations and understanding with Ankara could guarantee greater stability in Europe, considering that the new US leadership may not be eager to strengthen the US-EU axis.

- The need for concrete, structured, and regular EU-Türkiye relations

Despite the warm climate in Brussels, greater cooperation with Türkiye should be achieved with concrete steps and adherence to the principle of "do ut des" (I give in order that you may give) principle. Hence, only a structured and regular relationship, based on a principle of fairness, that leaves aside ambiguity and double standards, would fill the gap of trust and frustration that has characterized relations with Brussels for too long. The first steps to take are certainly in the direction of a constructive resumption of the high-level dialogue, followed by the update of the Customs Union and visa liberalization. The time is ripe for full revitalization. It is hoped that that the warm environment in the meeting will effectively heat up the European attitude towards Türkiye and be followed by concrete steps.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu