Turkey must be ‘included’ in European security structures, Erdogan says

Turkey must be included in all of Europe’s defense and security structures, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says, a week ahead of a key NATO summit in Ankara.

“As one of the countries with a say in developing the European pillar of the alliance, we want to participate in all defense and security initiatives on the continent,” he tells parliamentary delegates from all 32 NATO member states in Istanbul.

“We expect your support, lawmakers, for Turkey’s inclusion in the defense and security initiatives announced by the European Union.”

Turkey has long sought membership in the EU.

He adds that NATO must remove all obstacles blocking defense industry trade between members of the military alliance.

“If we want to overcome the challenges we face, we need to remove obstacles to defense industry trade while ensuring balanced and fair burden-sharing among allies,” he tells the lawmakers.