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Romania's foreign minister declared Friday that Türkiye's full membership in the European Union is essential for ensuring security in the Black Sea region, marking a significant endorsement as the two NATO allies work to deepen cooperation across multiple strategic sectors.
Foreign Minister Oana Toiu made the statement following extensive talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara, where the officials discussed bilateral relations spanning defense industry partnerships, energy cooperation, trade expansion and regional security challenges.
"Türkiye's full EU membership is a very important point for ensuring security in the Black Sea," Toiu said at a joint press conference, reaffirming Romania's support for Türkiye's candidacy for the bloc. The minister emphasized that this trilateral cooperation framework—involving Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria—could serve as a model for other nations beyond NATO.
Next year will mark the 15th anniversary of the strategic partnership between Türkiye and Romania, which was elevated to that status in 2011. The relationship reached a new institutional milestone in 2024 when the countries established the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, holding their first meeting in Ankara.
Toiu announced that both sides agreed during Thursday's talks to hold the next council session in Bucharest, presenting an invitation from Romanian President Nicusor Dan to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The diplomatic and institutional framework between the two countries has provided significant momentum for economic and commercial relations. Türkiye is Romania's largest trading partner outside the EU, while Romania holds the highest bilateral trade volume with Türkiye in the Southeastern Europe region.
Fidan noted that bilateral trade reached approximately $12 billion in 2024, with both countries targeting $15 billion. "Romania is in the position of being the country with the highest bilateral trade volume we have in the Southeast Europe region," Fidan said. "Our country is Romania's largest trade partner outside the European Union."
Toiu said Romania aims to increase both the volume and number of commercial relationships, adding that her country offers facilitative cooperation for foreign investments, particularly in the defense industry sector.
The ministers highlighted rapidly developing defense industry relations between the two countries, with Romania planning to acquire Hisar-class corvettes from Türkiye—a move Fidan described as an important step for cooperation in this field.
Toiu confirmed that the countries have reached agreement on joint production of armored vehicles. "This opportunity is very important. This is quite important for both suppliers and producers. It will be an example to other countries," she said, adding that Romania is closely monitoring investments in this sector.
Fidan emphasized Türkiye's intention to pursue joint production with Romania in the defense industry. "We are ready to implement important projects that will benefit both sides," he said, inviting Romanian investors to become more familiar with investment opportunities in Türkiye and establish closer cooperation with Turkish companies.
The two countries are also working intensively on maritime, land and air transportation connections, with plans to implement larger projects that will include Bulgaria.
Both ministers devoted considerable attention to Black Sea security, an issue that has gained urgency since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Toiu thanked Türkiye for the role it has undertaken in ensuring Black Sea security, noting that the two countries work both regionally and as NATO allies to develop the economic foundation.
Fidan emphasized that the Black Sea represents an important area for the constructive cooperation developed with Romania. "As regional countries, we are conducting our relations with Romania on the Black Sea axis with a regional ownership approach, focusing on how we can best develop the security, prosperity and economy of the Black Sea," he said.
The foreign minister noted that Black Sea security is also key to regional stability, a reality that became more evident following the Russia-Ukraine war. He highlighted the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Force, which Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria have been successfully operating since July 2024.
Fidan said Türkiye sees benefits in the task force assuming additional responsibilities in the future, such as protecting critical underwater infrastructure. "As two neighbors acting with a sense of joint responsibility on both sides of the Black Sea, we are aware of the importance of the security of food and energy supply routes," he said. "Our goal is to make the Black Sea a center of peace, prosperity and solidarity."
Toiu said discussions at the NATO Industry Forum, held over the previous two days, also addressed how to expand security in the Black Sea. She stressed Romania's desire to enable economic cooperation and its appreciation for joint investments.
The ministers also discussed developments in the Balkans, which Fidan described as a geography where strategic vulnerabilities can sometimes come to the fore. Both officials agreed on the need to closely monitor developments in the region, maintain dialogue with all actors and encourage common sense.
Fidan told the press conference that Romania's sincere support for Türkiye's EU membership process has always been appreciated. "Türkiye's strategic approach to EU membership has not changed," he said. "The changing balances once again reveal that Türkiye and Europe are two complementary elements."
The foreign minister noted that constructive messages recently expressed by European leaders offer valuable opportunities to overcome current deadlocks in relations. In this context, Fidan said he shared with his Romanian counterpart Türkiye's expectations regarding the updating of the Customs Union and revitalizing the visa liberalization dialogue.
Fidan also addressed European security architecture, stating that Türkiye has always advocated that this process should be handled with a long-term and strategic perspective as Europe's security architecture is being reshaped. "In this context, Türkiye's effective participation in Europe's security action mechanism is of critical importance for Europe's security," he said.
The minister referenced the European Union's recently announced Black Sea Strategy, expressing confidence in Romania's support for close coordination with Türkiye in implementing this strategy.
Addressing the situation in Gaza, Fidan said Türkiye hosted an important meeting in Istanbul earlier in the week and continues intensive diplomatic traffic, believing more joint effort is needed for the process to rest on a permanent foundation.
The foreign minister stated that the Palestinian side has displayed a constructive approach in advancing the Gaza process. "The effort put forth for the delivery of all hostages to Israel and the return of bodies is the most concrete indicator of this constructive attitude," Fidan said.
However, he sharply criticized Israel for failing to fulfill its obligations regarding aid delivery. "On the other hand, Israel is still not fulfilling its obligations regarding the delivery of aid," Fidan said. "A significant portion of the trucks entering Gaza carry commercial cargo, while humanitarian aid cannot reach the field. Aid is waiting in warehouses and trucks, and the urgent needs of the people of Gaza remain unmet."
Fidan called the continuation of this approach unacceptable and reiterated Türkiye's call for necessary measures to be taken immediately.
The minister revealed that a draft is expected to be submitted to the United Nations Security Council regarding the Gaza process, and Türkiye has already shared its views and contributions on this draft with counterparts. "This historic opportunity must not be wasted, and past mistakes must not be repeated," he said. "In this regard, it is of great importance that a framework emerges that the parties and the international community can embrace."
Toiu thanked Türkiye for its support in releasing hostages and said Romania will continue its support for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza as soon as possible and for the care of children in need of treatment. "We will continue our work for a just and sustainable peace," she said.
The Romanian minister also noted that the officials discussed cooperation between the United States, Qatar and Egypt on Gaza-related matters during their meeting.
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