Cavusoglu: Europe cannot build security system without Türkiye

Europe cannot build a security system without Türkiye, and the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara in July will help reduce tensions and strengthen unity among the alliance's allies, said Mevlut Cavusoglu, former Turkish foreign minister and head of the Turkish parliamentary delegation to NATO, according to a Report correspondent in Antalya.

He noted that EU countries often ignore non-EU countries, including NATO partners like Türkiye.

"Without a country like Türkiye, it is impossible to build a European security architecture. At the Ankara summit, President [of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan - ed.], in addition to receiving guests, intends to make efforts to reduce tensions and restore unity and solidarity among NATO allies," he said, speaking at a panel session of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Addressing US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Alliance, Cavusoglu noted that Washington's key expectation during his first term was for European allies to increase their contribution to the Alliance and its operations.

"However, Trump's statements-particularly regarding European allies and NATO-not only raised concerns in Europe but also exacerbated a number of issues, such as the situation around Greenland. This, in turn, accelerated the discussion about Europe's strategic autonomy, that is, its independence in the security sphere, or at least intensified efforts to do so," Cavusoglu added.

According to him, European countries, allies, and other states, including Türkiye, need to strengthen their own capabilities to ensure both their own security and that of Europe.

"Our advice to Europeans is that it is crucial that European countries, allies, and other states, including Türkiye, strengthen their capabilities to ensure their own security and the security of Europe. However, this should not be seen as an alternative to NATO," he emphasized.