Belgian defense minister: NATO needs Türkiye, praises Turkish tech

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has said that Türkiye is an important ally for NATO and that Europe should benefit from Turkish technology in defense production. “I think it will be a very important summit,” Francken told Anadolu ahead of the July 7-8 NATO meeting in Ankara. He said NATO has faced difficult times recently, and therefore unity is more important than ever.

NATO 3.0 and Türkiye’s role

Francken said the “NATO 3.0” vision means Belgium and European allies must assume more responsibility, investing highly in defense and taking the European security architecture into their own hands. Asked about Türkiye’s contributions, he said: “Türkiye is a very important ally. It’s a long-standing ally. It’s a country that is very important within NATO. So, yes, we need Türkiye within NATO.” He stressed that Türkiye should be included in Europe’s defense programs, adding that its exclusion from SAFE-I was a mistake. “We can learn a lot from your technology,” he said, praising the TCG Burgazada corvette as “beautiful” and “high standard.”

Cooperation and expectations

Francken noted that Belgium cooperates with Türkiye in many fields, including training under NATO, and expressed hope for joint procurement and industrial cooperation. He also said the recent Belgian economic mission to Türkiye continues to yield results, with new contracts still being signed. “United we stand, divided we fall, and I think that is the most important: show unity,” he said.