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Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said Türkiye is critical to European security, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for closer cooperation with new partners, including Türkiye, at the 62nd Munich Security Conference.
Van Weel, representing the Netherlands’ caretaker government, emphasized Türkiye’s importance within NATO and its contributions to collective security.
“For this reason, having such a strong nation within NATO makes me very happy. Because I worked at NATO, I have seen Türkiye’s recent contribution to our security, and I think we should all be happy about it,” he said.
Merz said a deep gap has emerged between Europe and the U.S., warning that European integration and the transatlantic partnership alone would no longer be sufficient to protect freedom.
He called for closer cooperation with countries such as Türkiye, stressing the need to engage new partners even if all concerns are not shared.
“This enables us to approach new partners with whom we may not share all our concerns but do share important ones. This prevents dependencies and risks, while also creating opportunities for both sides and protecting our freedom,” he said.
Merz said Türkiye, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil, South Africa and Gulf countries would play a key role in this process.
Türkiye’s role in Europe’s security architecture has been increasingly highlighted in recent years, particularly following significant advances in the defense sector.
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