Turkey will not be joining the European Union’s new €150 billion defense loan mechanism, SAFE (Security Action for Europe), as it will fail to meet the November 30 deadline, despite strong backing from key member states such as Germany.
A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed in Brussels that both Turkey and South Korea remain under evaluation and will not be processed in time. The spokesperson added that “these two countries will not meet the Sunday deadline, as the Commission is still examining their requests.”
Germany had been among the most vocal supporters of including Turkey in the scheme. German Foreign Minister Johannes Vandevoll reiterated Berlin’s position during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, stating that SAFE “should be opened to Turkey and the United Kingdom as important NATO partners.”
The mechanism also suffered a major setback after negotiations with United Kingdom collapsed. London rejected what EU officials described as the financial “price” required for full participation. The EU had initially requested a contribution of up to €6.75 billion, while the UK countered with just €82 million – an offer rejected by member states.
The difficulties surrounding Turkey’s bid were known early on. EU officials acknowledged that Ankara’s request, submitted in July, would likely face vetoes from Greece and Cyprus, as well as objections from France. As a result, the Commission never forwarded Turkey’s application to member states for approval.
Although Turkey and the UK cannot join SAFE directly, they may still participate in bilateral defense projects with EU countries. However, only up to 35% of any SAFE-funded project can involve third countries, and deeper cooperation would require special agreements that are no longer feasible.
Negotiations with Canada will continue until Sunday, with Brussels hoping to avoid a second major failure in outreach to allied partners.
Meanwhile, the 19 EU member states – including Greece – that plan to join SAFE must submit their national programs by Sunday. The Commission is expected to assess them by mid-December, with initial disbursements of up to 15% anticipated before year’s end.