21.02.2026 08:40
President Abdullah Gül emphasized that Europe needs to establish a strong and constructive cooperation again with leading military actors of NATO, such as Turkey, in order to overcome the deepening security crisis and strengthen its strategic autonomy.
The 11th President of the Republic of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, wrote an article titled "Europe Needs Turkey's Security" for the international ideas and analysis platform Project Syndicate.
In his article, Gül made striking remarks while evaluating the changing global security dynamics and the future of Turkey-European Union (EU) relations. Referring to the period when Turkey was negotiating its EU membership, Gül expressed that he personally witnessed the insincere attitudes of some European leaders during that process.
"TODAY, THE EU NEEDS TURKEY"
Pointing out that the Cyprus issue was used as an excuse to block Turkey's membership, Gül stated, "The EU cannot afford to repeat the mistakes made during Turkey's candidacy process. At that time, unilateral rules and political arrogance derailed progress. Today, the party in need is the EU." he said.
"EUROPEAN LEADERS MUST BE MORE SINCERE THIS TIME"
Inviting European leaders to a more honest and sincere dialogue, Gül said, "This time, European leaders must be more honest and sincere about cooperation with Turkey. Furthermore, the security of Europe should not be held hostage by a few EU members pursuing narrow national interests. Turkey possesses not only significant military capabilities but also a regional sphere of influence and geopolitical weight."
"TURKEY IS A EUROPEAN COUNTRY"
Highlighting that Turkey has the second largest army in NATO after the USA, the former President stated, "Turkey is a European country. It belongs to the continent culturally, geographically, historically, and politically. While relations between Turkey and some EU countries may remain tense, necessity often melts the ice. Turkey is a natural pillar of European security; without it, the structure remains incomplete."