Ex-minister: EU often ignores NATO partners

Former Turkish foreign minister and head of Türkiye’s parliamentary delegation to NATO, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, has said European Union countries frequently overlook non-EU members of the alliance, including key NATO partners such as Türkiye.

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Çavuşoglu argued that Europe would be unable to establish a functioning security architecture without Türkiye’s involvement, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“Without a country like Türkiye, it is impossible to build Europe’s security architecture,” he said.

He added that the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara in July was expected to ease tensions and strengthen unity among allies.

According to Çavuşoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would use the Ankara summit not only to host leaders but also to “reduce tensions and restore unity and solidarity among NATO allies”.

Commenting on criticism of NATO from US President Donald Trump, Çavuşoglu said that during Trump’s first term, Washington’s central expectation was for European allies to increase their financial and operational contributions to the alliance.

He added that Trump’s statements — particularly those concerning European allies and NATO — had raised concerns in Europe and intensified debates on strategic autonomy, including the continent’s capacity to act independently in security matters.

He also cited wider geopolitical discussions, including tensions involving Greenland, as factors accelerating the push for greater European self-reliance.

At the same time, Çavuşoglu stressed that strengthening national and collective defence capabilities should not be seen as an alternative to NATO membership.

“Our advice to Europeans is that it is essential for European countries, allies and other states, including Türkiye, to strengthen their capabilities to ensure both their own security and that of Europe,” he said. “However, this should not be considered an alternative to NATO.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev