Turkey urges Europe to “take greater responsibility for its own security”. “We're all in the same boat”
Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, Photo: Inquam Photos / George Călin
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Europe on Monday to “assume greater responsibilities” to ensure its own security rather than relying on the United States for protection, AFP reports.
“The war in Ukraine and the changing strategic priorities of the United States leave Europe with no choice but to assume greater responsibilities for its own security,” Fidan told a conference in Lisbon, according to a statement sent to AFP by a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
“As Europeans, we are all in the same boat. Ensuring the security of our own home is an existential necessity. We cannot delegate our security to others,” the Turkish official stressed.
On the other hand, Hakan Fidan claims that his country, which officially has the status of a candidate for EU membership, is kept at a distance from the EU bloc.
“Despite formal commitments to cooperation with non-EU allies, Turkey has been excluded from EU security and defense frameworks for years,” the Turkish foreign minister said.
He claims that “the reason is clear”.
“The narrow national agendas of a few member states have taken Europe's broader strategic interests hostage,” he added.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to whom he conveyed his concerns regarding the situation in Venezuela, where the US military over the weekend captured President Nicolas Maduro to bring him to US justice.
