A new EDAM paper drafted co-authored by several of Türkiye's former policy makers that have had responsibility for managing and advancing the relations with the Alliance, presents a comprehensive analysis and recommendations for the strengthening the European pillar of NATO. Europe's security will ultimately depend not on institutional boundaries but on its ability to align political frameworks with strategic realities. Europe's future security architecture should reinforce Alliance cohesion rather than create new dividing lines between EU and non-EU Allies.
As a long-standing NATO Ally with significant military capacity, strategic geography, operational experience and a growing defence-industrial base, Türkiye is well placed to contribute to a more capable European pillar. But the effectiveness of Ankara's contribution will depend on whether political obstacles can be managed pragmatically and whether the capabilities of all relevant Allies — including Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada and potentially Ukraine — can be mobilized behind a common strategic purpose.
The paper also provides novel ideas for steering the European transformation of the Alliance including the revitalisation of the Western European Union as the inclusive political platform for intra-European dialogue and formulas for overcoming obstacles to deeper NATO-EU cooperation.
