Rutte signals support for SAFE bid by Turkey

NATO main Mark Rutte (R), on with outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof (L), welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) to the World Forum for the NATO Summit successful The Hague, The Netherlands, connected 25 June 2025. [Koen van Weel/EPA]

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte signaled support for Turkey’s information successful the European Union’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defence programme during a gathering with EU ambassadors past Thursday, according to European diplomatic sources.

It was Rutte’s archetypal quality astatine a gathering of the EU’s imperishable representatives (Coreper), timed soon aft the European Commission confirmed Ankara’s exertion to articulation SAFE, a €150 cardinal programme aimed astatine boosting Europe’s defence industry.

Rutte argued that person EU-Turkey engagement is indispensable for stronger NATO cooperation. He suggested Turkey’s engagement successful SAFE could easiness Ankara’s long-standing objections to sharing delicate NATO-EU information.

A diplomatic source described the contented arsenic complex, tied to NATO defence standards. While Rutte has already shared unclassified standards with the EU – reportedly angering Turkey – classified information necessitate unanimous NATO approval, giving Ankara leverage. Rutte urged EU states to admit Turkey’s subject capabilities and widen a motion of goodwill.

Turkey has accrued engagement with Western defence initiatives, participating successful meetings connected post-war Ukraine and signaling willingness to deploy forces successful a aboriginal bid mission, a presumption backed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Rutte, who erstwhile clashed openly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arsenic Dutch premier minister, has repeatedly defended Turkey’s relation since becoming NATO main successful October. In May, helium opposed German restrictions connected Eurofighter pitchy income to Turkey, saying, “There should beryllium nary restrictions connected arms income betwixt allies.”

However, an EU diplomat stressed that SAFE is simply a European program, and information decisions stay with EU member-states.

The statement centers connected NATO standards needed for EU-funded defence projects. “NATO cannot acceptable conditions while blocking defence improvement financed with outer funds,” 1 diplomat said.