Turkey and Finland deepen defence ties ahead of NATO summit
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan holds defence talks with Finland amid deepening Nordic-Turkish security cooperation. During a meeting in Helsinki on Tuesday, Turkish Grand National Assembly Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and Finnish President Alexander Stubb discussed bilateral relations and regional security, signaling a push to strengthen parliamentary and defence ties between the two nations .
The Helsinki discussions precede Fidan’s broader diplomatic engagements, including a Wednesday visit to Indonesia where defence industry projects and regional security—particularly in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East—top the agenda. While in Helsinki, the talks with Finnish officials focused on aligning security priorities, though no specific defence deals were announced .
The meeting comes as Turkey positions itself as a key NATO interlocutor ahead of the alliance’s July 7-8 summit in Ankara, where U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend. Fidan confirmed Trump’s participation on Tuesday, framing the summit as a platform for regional security coordination amid rising tensions in the Middle East and Eastern Europe .
Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, has increasingly aligned its defence posture with Turkey’s, particularly on counterterrorism and Arctic security. The two countries have collaborated on drone technology and joint military exercises, though Helsinki remains cautious about Ankara’s stance on Kurdish groups. This week’s talks mark the latest step in a years-long effort to institutionalize defence cooperation, with both sides emphasizing parliamentary diplomacy as a tool to solidify strategic ties.
- le monde
Articles
TBMM Speaker Kurtulmus meets Finnish President Stubb in Helsinki Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmus met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, stating that he hopes the visit will provide new momentum for cooperation between the two countries parliaments.
yenisafak · 4 days ago
Turkish foreign minister to visit Indonesia for trade, defence talks Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Indonesia on Wednesday to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation, boosting trade to $10 billion, and reviewing defence industry projects. Regional security issues, including Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz, will also be on the agenda.
yenisafak · 4 days ago
Turkish FM meets Singapores premier in official visit Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was welcomed by Singapores Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during an official visit to the city‑state. Fidan also held talks with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam to strengthen bilateral ties.
yenisafak · 4 days ago
US envoy to Ankara Tom Barrack adds Iraq special representative role Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Ankara and special envoy to Syria, has welcomed his additional appointment as special representative to Iraq. He praised President Trumps bold leadership and said the US power‑balance paradigm works best when regional allies take more responsibility.
yenisafak · 4 days ago
Trump to attend NATO summit in Ankara: Turkish FM Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump plans to attend the NATO summit scheduled for Ankara on July 7-8, noting that the two leaders have spoken several times in recent weeks to confirm arrangements amid ongoing regional security talks.
yenisafak · 4 days ago
Turkey is a quiet but strategic presence in Mali Over the past decade, trade between Ankara and Bamako has more than tripled, and arms and ammunition have become Turkeys leading exports to Mali since 2024.
le monde · 4 days ago