Erdogan declared Turkey's readiness to contribute to the EU defense industry

The Turkish military industry is ready to help the European Union (EU) strengthen its defense capabilities. This was stated on March 7 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a videoconference between European Council President Antonio Costa and the heads of EU partner states.

"Our defense industry, with its advanced technologies, is ready to contribute to the strengthening of Europe's defense sector," the Turkish leader said.

Erdogan noted that joint planning of steps to ensure Europe's security would be in the common interests of Ankara and Brussels. He stressed that he sees no reason for further exclusion of Turkey from the EU mechanisms for ensuring the supply of defense products.

"I think that the programs of the European defense industry within the framework of the union should be open to all European allies," the president concluded.

The head of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, announced on March 6 that during the summit in Brussels, EU leaders agreed on an 800 billion euro plan for the militarization of Europe.

Before the summit, she also said that the plans for rearmament include investments in Ukraine's military-industrial complex and financing arms supplies to Kiev. The head of the EC clarified that Europe wants "peaceful force" in the settlement issue.

Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 7 that the EU's militarization was directed against Russia and could create the need for Moscow to take retaliatory measures. He also stressed that such confrontational rhetoric "seriously dissonates with the mood to search for peaceful solutions around Ukraine."