Turkey pushed for an end to NATO-led defence-industry restrictions within the bloc on Wednesday, July 7th—with an emphasis on improving Turkish access to European arms resources.
Hosting a NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated:
Restrictions among allies on defence cooperation, especially in the defence industry, must be lifted.
The Turkish leader appears to be building on Tuesday’s promise from U.S. president Donald Trump to lift the sanctions still facing Turkey and decide on selling it F-35 fighter aircraft (which would still need the backing of the U.S. Congress).
With NATO’s second-largest army and a significant arms industry, Ankara aims to join European security initiatives such as the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) funding scheme, but resistance remains.
