, a strategic plan designed to support joint defense projects and reduce the continent’s dependence on external military alliances.){kind=link}
Fatih Yurtsever*
The European Council on Tuesday approved a €150 billion initiative known as the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a strategic plan designed to support joint defense projects and reduce the continent’s dependence on external military alliances.
SAFE is part of a broader €800 billion vision to rebuild Europe’s defense capabilities by 2030 and reassess its reliance on NATO. In this evolving security environment, Turkey could play a more prominent role.
One of SAFE’s key features is that it allows participation by non-EU countries. Candidate nations such as Turkey and those with existing defense partnerships can join the program by signing cooperation agreements with the EU.
For Turkey, this opens the door to deeper involvement in European defense, particularly as its domestic arms industry expands, with a focus on drone systems and other advanced technologies.
Turkey’s participation depends on a formal agreement with the EU, as outlined in Article 17 of the regulation adopted on May 20.
Greece had pushed for a requirement that all partnerships with non-EU countries receive unanimous approval, citing Articles 212 and 218 of the EU Treaty. However, Germany and EU legal advisers opposed the move, and the proposal was ultimately rejected. Still, the European Commission stated that Article 212 would remain the legal foundation for future agreements. Greece issued a separate statement to clarify its position and avoid future legal ambiguity.
If Turkey and the EU reach a deal under Article 212, it could establish a wide-ranging cooperation framework encompassing technical, financial and industrial aspects of defense. The EU would retain oversight to ensure alignment with democratic standards.
Projects involving third countries, such as Turkey, will be subject to majority approval by EU member states.
The SAFE program will offer low-interest loans to boost defense production across Europe. EU-based companies must execute at least 65 percent of the value of any project receiving funding, while non-EU partners can contribute between 15 and 35 percent.
The European Commission will raise funds through financial markets and provide loans with 45-year terms to participating countries. Project proposals must be submitted by June 30, 2027, and the full €150 billion is expected to be distributed by the end of 2030.
Turkey’s expanding defense industry
Turkey’s defense sector aims to increase exports to Europe. Countries including Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland have expressed support for Turkish involvement in regional defense initiatives.
In 2024 Turkish defense exports totaled $7.1 billion (approximately €6.5 billion), reflecting a 29 percent year-on-year increase. More than 55 percent of exports went to NATO countries and Ukraine, underlining Turkey’s growing integration into Western security structures amid rising tensions in Europe.
One recent example of this cooperation is Turkey’s advanced jet trainer, HÜRJET, which is slated for use at a NATO pilot training center in Badajoz, Spain.
Spanish defense analyst Jaime Pérez Guerra told state-run TRT Haber that the Badajoz center will host a significant number of NATO pilots, and the deployment of HÜRJET will bring broader attention to the platform. He described the development as a sign of deepening aerospace ties between Turkey and Spain.
Pérez Guerra also praised the growth of Turkey’s defense industry, calling it one of the most significant developments in the region and predicting Turkey’s emergence as a key European defense partner.
Turkish defense contractors already meet NATO standards and are making headway in the European market. In late 2024 Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar acquired Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace.
In another development Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain in December 2024 for the use of HÜRJET in Spanish military training programs.
Haluk Görgün, secretary of Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency (SSB), said Turkey has contributed to European security structures since the early 19th century. He cited joint initiatives like the A400M military transport aircraft, developed in partnership with six European nations.
Görgün said the SAFE initiative could lead to even closer collaboration between the Turkish and EU defense industries, especially in light of Turkey’s official EU candidate status.
Political tensions persist
Despite the potential for defense cooperation, political tensions between Turkey and the EU persist. The European Parliament has repeatedly criticized Ankara for backsliding on democratic reforms.
Rights organizations including Freedom House have raised alarms about the erosion of democratic institutions and the rule of law in Turkey. In its 2025 report Freedom House rated Turkey as “Not Free,” citing a sharp decline in political rights and civil liberties due to what it described as increasing authoritarianism and the systematic suppression of dissent under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The European Parliament, Freedom House and other human rights watchdogs have pointed to the shrinking space for civil society and independent media in Turkey.
In March İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s leading political rival, was arrested on charges of corruption, widely seen as politically motivated. His detention sparked widespread protests and an economic fallout, including a sharp drop in the Turkish lira and a $40 billion intervention by Turkey’s central bank, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights’ 2024 report cited ongoing challenges in Turkey related to judicial independence and freedom of expression.
The Council of Europe has also initiated infringement proceedings against Turkey for failing to implement rulings from the European Court of Human Rights. EU institutions continue to urge greater transparency and judicial independence in the country.
Sources from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told Euronews Turkish that the extent to which Turkey and Turkish companies are meaningfully included in the SAFE plan and related initiatives will serve as a test of the European Union’s sincerity.
Turkey’s defense capabilities and strategic position make it difficult for European governments to overlook. Germany and Spain are among the countries actively supporting deeper cooperation with Ankara.
Italy, once hesitant to collaborate militarily with Turkey, is now quietly exploring avenues for regional security dialogue and defense partnerships.
The SAFE program offers a formal path for Turkey to pursue closer defense ties with the EU. For the EU, the challenge will be balancing strategic objectives with its commitment to democratic values.
How Brussels handles Turkey’s role in the SAFE framework could shape the future of EU-Turkey relations and the broader trajectory of European defense policy.
* Fatih Yurtsever is a former naval officer in the Turkish Armed Forces. He uses a pseudonym due to security concerns.