Amid discussions to increase military spending and establish an autonomous European defense system in the context of security guarantees for Ukraine, the French press praised Turkey. The significant reduction of Turkey’s military dependence was emphasized.

French channel BFMTV published a news titled “Does the Defense of Europeans Rely on Ankara”.

The news highlighted that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish military dependence has decreased from 70% to 30%, which is a development that would impress Europe, which is militarily dependent on the U.S.

“EUROPEAN DEFENSE CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT TURKEY” The news referred to differences especially regarding EU membership between the European Union (EU) and Turkey, opening a debate on whether European defense could exist without Turkey. The progress Turkey has made in strengthening its military capacity in recent years was mentioned, including the export of Turkish defense industry products to over 180 countries, among them European countries like Poland and Romania. Furthermore, the news highlighted that the world-renowned Bayraktar TB2 drones, among other military equipment exported from Turkey to numerous countries, were also included.

SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN EUROPE Financial Times’ report on NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urging European countries to establish closer defense relations with Turkey was also mentioned in the news. It reiterated that Turkey, being a key actor in continental security, has the second largest army in the alliance after the U.S. The news also featured Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s statement that “If the European security architecture is to be rebuilt, it is not possible without Turkey.”