Turkey’s participation request in EU military project apprehended as ‘Trojan horse’
According to EURACTIV, NATO member Turkey has submitted an application to participate in the EU’s Dutch-led military project on military mobility, despite tense relations with Greece and Cyprus. While the request is being reviewed, EU diplomats are split over Ankara’s possible participation.
According to reports by Welt am Sonntag, NATO member Turkey formally declared its intention to participate in the EU’s military mobility project under the framework of the EU’s permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) of 46 military projects and is a sign of improving EU-NATO cooperation.
Military mobility aims to support member states’ commitment to simplify and standardise cross-border military transport procedures, seen as the ‘silver bullet’ for EU-NATO defence cooperation and designed to ensure seamless movement of military equipment across the EU in response to crises.
A formal request from the Turkish government has indeed been received by the Dutch defence ministry, which is coordinating the project, a Dutch spokesperson confirmed to EURACTIV.
“Turkey has indeed informed us of its desire to participate in the military mobility project. As project coordinator, we carefully follow the application process established by the Council,” the spokesperson said.
EU defence ministers in May agreed to admit the United States, Norway and Canada to join the bloc’s project on military mobility, the first time the EU allowed outside countries to join any of its military projects. The step was seen as a formality to formally inscribe an especially already strong NATO input by those members on European territory.
A total of 24 EU countries are currently participating in the PESCO project. It is expected that Cyprus and Greece, both being project members, will react negatively to the Turkish request, seeing it as a ‘Trojan horse’.
There are many reasons to back such apprehensions. Cyprus, which unlike Turkey is not a NATO member, does not have a security agreement with NATO on the exchange of classified documents, because Turkey has vetoed the proposal.
According to diplomatic circles cited by Welt am Sonntag, there is in parts however the hope that possible cooperation by Turkey in PESCO would not only improve cooperation between the EU and NATO, but could also lead to a normalization of relations between Turkey and Cyprus and Greece.
At their summit at the end of March, EU leaders had promised Turkey improved economic relations, visa exemption and new billions in aid to support the around 3.5 million refugees. EU-Turkey relations are likely to be back on the agenda of the next EU summit in June.
