Turkey and SAFE: A difficult path toward Europe’s defense framework

In this episode, we talk with Dimitris Tsarouhas, Senior Research Fellow at the Turkey Programme of ELIAMEP, about why Turkey — at least for now — cannot take part in the EU’s new Security and Defense Action Mechanism (SAFE). Despite its ambitions to play a greater role in Europe’s defense industry, political tensions, divergence from the rule of law, and conflicting strategic priorities keep Ankara at a distance from the European framework. Can Turkey find a way back to the table, or do EU values draw an unbridgeable line?