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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged stronger cooperation with Germany and underlined Türkiye’s expectation to take part in the EU’s new defense initiatives during his official visit to Berlin on Friday.
Fidan, paying his first bilateral visit to Germany, met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul for talks covering defence, regional stability, economic ties, and Türkiye–EU relations.
Fidan emphasized that Türkiye and Germany share long-standing ties grounded in NATO cooperation, economic interdependence, and close human connections through the Turkish community in Germany.
He reiterated Türkiye’s view that European security is “incomplete” without Ankara.
During the meeting, he conveyed Türkiye’s position that the EU’s SAFE program, a €150 billion ($173.41 million) joint defense procurement plan, should not exclude key NATO allies.
Ankara sees participation in SAFE as consistent with its role in NATO and its contributions to European security, including defence industry cooperation, counterterrorism efforts, and joint military missions.
Following the talks, Wadephul said Germany views Türkiye as a “geostrategic partner” and a “reliable NATO ally,” adding that SAFE “must be opened to Türkiye and the United Kingdom.”
He noted that constructive discussions on the issue are underway between Ankara, Berlin and EU institutions.
Fidan’s visit also addressed Türkiye’s priority agenda with Berlin and Brussels, including the modernization of the Türkiye–EU Customs Union, progress on visa liberalization, expanded economic and technological cooperation, enhanced energy, transport and digital connectivity, and closer coordination on regional issues such as Gaza, Ukraine and Syria.
Fidan also underlined the need for a more balanced and cooperative Türkiye–EU dialogue, stressing that Türkiye is ready to advance ties “on the basis of mutual respect and strategic vision.”
As part of his program, Fidan is scheduled to meet representatives of German business circles and Turkish civil society, reflecting Türkiye’s aim to strengthen economic ties and highlight opportunities in sectors such as energy, digital technologies and defense industries.
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