Türkiye and France have signed a roadmap to expand their cooperation in defence and security, the Turkish National Defence Ministry announced on Thursday, October 8.
Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk told the ministry's weekly press briefing that the document aims to develop bilateral defence relations on the basis of mutual interests and to put existing cooperation on a more institutional footing. The ministry did not say when or where the roadmap was signed, or who signed it.
What the roadmap covers
According to the ministry, the two NATO allies will hold regular consultations on defence and security issues. They plan to deepen cooperation on countering hybrid threats, intelligence sharing and air defence, including improving the interoperability of their systems.
The roadmap also foresees more joint training, exchanges of personnel between military academies, port visits and joint exercises involving land, naval and air forces.
On the industrial side, the two countries intend to pursue joint defence industry projects and business opportunities, share more information and technology, and increase contacts between defence companies.
Meetings under the framework will alternate between Paris and Ankara, with the first planned for the last quarter of 2026, subject to agreement between the two sides.
A thaw after years of friction
Relations between Ankara and Paris have fluctuated considerably over the past decade. The two governments clashed over Libya, the eastern Mediterranean and Syria, and in 2020 a naval incident between their warships in the Mediterranean caused a serious row within NATO. Ties have since improved, and the two countries have cooperated in areas such as air defence, where France and Italy produce the SAMP/T system.
Türkiye has been expanding defence partnerships with European countries as the continent moves to boost its own defence capacity, and Ankara has sought a role in European security initiatives.
Other items at the briefing
At the same briefing, Aktürk said the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca defence agreement met in Riyadh on October 5, where the initial structure of the alliance secretariat was set and a framework for defence industry cooperation discussed. He said any forces Türkiye might provide would be deployed in line with its constitution and legislation.
He also criticised Israeli actions in southern Syria, including air and artillery strikes and arbitrary detentions, saying they were raising tensions in the region.
Sources
Photo: Baristarim at English Wikipedia / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
