Division Over Defence: What the Türkiye–SAFE Debate Teaches Europe

By Alex Niculescu — Researcher in International Relations at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

The question of whether Türkiye should join the European SAFE program (the Security Action for Europe, a common defence-procurement initiative worth €150 billion) has divided the EU into two camps: the overwhelming majority supporting the extension of the program to Türkiye, and a handful of countries — the Republic of Cyprus and Greece — backed by France, opposing it. On one side, we find a realistic position from the majority, recognizing the importance of Türkiye as NATO’s second-largest army and a leader in drone and other emerging technologies; on the other, the defence of narrow national interests before the interests of the European community.....