IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu issued a statement regarding the Strategic Compass adopted by EU foreign ministers and set to be endorsed by the European Council on 24-25 March 2022. IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu made the following remarks:

“On 21 March 2022, the EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted the document titled 'Strategic Compass' which will determine the course of the EU security and defence policy until 2030. The Strategic Compass could be viewed as the EU's effort to create a strategic identity in the face of geopolitical challenges. The emergence of this document happens a time when the strategic rivalry between the great powers is heating up, the nature of security threats is transforming and the war is knocking on Europe's door in the wake of Russia's intervention in Ukraine. The Strategic Compass is a guide for action with concrete actions and a detailed timetable and consists of the following four elements: 

- The EU acting more rapidly and decisively in the face of crises,

- Protecting its citizens against rapidly evolving threats,

- Investing more and smarter in capabilities and technologies,

- Strengthening cooperation with partners in line with common goals.

Moreover, the creation of a Rapid Deployment Capacity of 5,000 troops to be deployed in different operational scenarios and at different stages of crises stands out as one of the most significant novelties under the Strategic Compass. Increasing the level of preparedness with exercises and developing the ability to station 200 fully equipped civilian experts in crisis regions within 30 days under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) by mid-2023 are among the other novelties that stand out. The document lays out numerous actions ranging from increasing military mobility and making CSDP missions and operations more flexible, to developing coordinated tools against hybrid and cyber threats on the one hand, from a VAT waiver to encourage joint investment in capabilities, to strengthening cooperation with like-minded countries and partners on the other. Unlike its predecessors, the 2003 European Security Strategy and the 2016 EU Global Strategy, the Strategic Compass has been designed through a process in which EU capitals were in the driver's seat and is complemented by a clear calendar and a strong monitoring mechanism.”

“As the European security architecture is going through an unprecedented breaking point, the partial and contradictory rhetoric towards Turkey, a NATO ally and a candidate country, which has played an extremely critical role in ensuring the security of Europe, does not contribute to the EU's ambition to become a strategic actor and risks undermining it.”

Referring to the way Turkey is addressed in the Strategic Compass, IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu stated the following:

“In the document, Turkey is addressed in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean in the part where the strategic environment is analysed and in the section on bilateral partnerships. In the section on the Eastern Mediterranean, one can see that regarding Turkey a hostile rhetoric reflecting the Greek and Greek Cypriot claims is adopted. Arguing that the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean continue and have the potential to escalate rapidly due to provocations and unilateral actions against Member States, breaches of international law, violations of sovereign rights, as well as the instrumentalisation of irregular migration, it is stated that a stable and secure environment and a cooperative relationship based on mutual benefits in accordance with the principle of good neighbourly relations is in the interest of both the EU and Turkey.

On the other hand, in the bilateral partnerships section, Turkey's contribution to CSDP missions and operations is mentioned and it is emphasized that the EU would continue cooperating with Turkey in areas of common interest. While indicating that the Union is determined to develop a mutually beneficial partnership with Turkey, it is indicated that this requires equal determination on part of Turkey in advancing on a path of cooperation, sustained de-escalation and to address EU’s concerns in line with European Council conclusions of 25 March 2021.

As the European security architecture is going through an unprecedented breaking point, the partial and contradictory rhetoric towards Turkey, a NATO ally and a candidate country, which has played an extremely critical role in ensuring the security of Europe, does not contribute to the EU's ambition to become a strategic actor and risks undermining it. Building the EU's defence vision upon areas that will bring the EU and Turkey closer together with a far-sighted approach instead of a divisive rhetoric shaped around the claims of some Member States, will contribute greatly not only to the development of the EU's security and defence identity, but also to NATO-EU cooperation."