Turkey is increasingly strengthening bilateral relations with European countries after being excluded from the EU’s €150 billion SAFE defence programme and facing continued stagnation in its long-running EU membership bid. Over the past year, Ankara has signed a series of defence, trade, energy and transport agreements with EU member states and the UK, highlighting growing practical cooperation despite political tensions with Brussels.
The shift comes as European countries seek to bolster their defence capabilities amid uncertainty over future US security commitments. While Turkey remains outside the EU’s core political and security structures, several European governments have expanded cooperation with Ankara in strategic sectors.
In defence, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Finland and Hungary have all signed procurement or cooperation agreements with Turkey. Major deals include Spain’s €2.6 billion purchase of 30 Hurjet aircraft, Poland’s $410 million agreement with Aselsan for electronic warfare systems, and Romania’s warship procurement from Turkish state-owned ASFAT. Germany also lifted its veto on a UK-Turkey agreement for the sale of 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets worth $10.7 billion.
Economic cooperation has also accelerated. Turkey signed 16 agreements with Hungary covering energy and transport, while France announced plans for an additional €5 billion of investment in Turkey by 2027. Ankara has also expanded cooperation with Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and the UK in trade, transport and energy. Turkish Petroleum Corporation’s agreement with Hungary’s MOL Group marked the company’s first energy investment in Europe.
Turkey’s growing engagement with individual European countries contrasts with continued difficulties in its relations with EU institutions. Ankara remains outside the SAFE programme, reportedly due in part to objections from Cyprus and Greece, while efforts to advance EU membership talks and modernise the Customs Union have made little progress.
The trend has also sparked criticism from some analysts and commentators, who argue that Europe’s increasing focus on defence and security cooperation is reducing attention to concerns over democratic standards and political freedoms in Turkey. As European governments continue prioritising security and defence needs, bilateral cooperation with Ankara is expected to deepen further in the coming years.
