Tuesday

28th Nov 2023

'Intense' discussion on EU-Nato relations at Lisbon summit

  • EU chief Herman Van Rompuy (l) spoke of 'tearing down the walls' between Nato and the EU (Photo: nato.org)

A "long" and "intense" debate led by Turkey on EU-Nato relations was the main stumbling bloc for agreement on the final language of a new Strategic Concept for the military alliance at a summit in Lisbon, with Ankara unwilling to make concessions unless it is involved more in EU decision-making on security matters.

Despite a "powerful speech" by EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who echoed Ronald Reagan's famous address to the Soviets to "tear down the Berlin wall," EU-Nato relations remain blocked, Nato sources told this website.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Mr Van Rompuy, who spoke to Nato leaders at a dinner in Lisbon on Friday night (19 November), said that "the ability of our two organisations to shape our future security environment would be enormous if they worked together. It is time to break down the remaining walls between them."

The Nato-EU stalemate rests on the issue of Cyprus, a divided island whose northern part is recognised as independent only by Turkey and whose EU membership since 2004 failed to reunite the two parts.

According to Nato diplomats, the Turkish delegation: "wanted to focus on the problems rather than the vision of what EU-Nato relations should aim to."

Negotiations on the final wording of the Strategic Concept concerning EU-Nato relations took "over three days" and prolonged the leaders' dinner on Friday night.

"It was a long debate over dinner, indeed. But we didn't ask for anything that was not promised to us already," Selcuk Unal, spokesman of the Turkish foreign ministry told EUobserver on Saturday (20 November). "Nato-EU co-operation is a must, we fully support that it improves, but only based on a clear and transparent legal framework. We want more consultation and transparency from the EU."

Cyprus is blocking Turkey's membership of EU's defence agency (EDA) which helps member nations to co-ordinate defence procurement and to streamline legislation in the defence industry. Mr Unal stressed that EDA membership "is not a Turkish request, but an EU promise."

From Ankara's point of view, no EU-Nato progress can take place until the "Greek Cypriots" budge on the reconciliation of the island or until they lift their objection to Turkey's EDA membership.

Turkey also wants to have consultations on the EU's common foreign and security policy, pointing to the fact that it was a member of the recently defunct Western European Union (WEU). Dating back to the Cold War era, the one-for-all-and-all-for-one security guarantee for European nations was considered to be even more powerful than the Nato pact, which leaves member states the option not to participate in the defence of an ally if it is attacked.

With the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which establishes more EU competences in common foreign and security policy, the WEU was abolished, leaving Turkey out of any consultation format.

EU officials say it would be "impossible" to imagine any say for Turkey in political planning of EU military missions, as Ankara requests.

In the final text of the new Nato Strategic Concept, the 28 leaders "welcome the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty," but also point to the "significant contribution of non-EU allies" in adressing common security challenges. "For the strategic partnership between Nato and the EU, their fullest involvement in these efforts is essential," the document says, in an apparent reference to the Turkish demands.

More keywords from Turkish President Abdullah Gul - "mutual openness" and "transparency" - are also found in the description of an ideal EU-Nato relationship, along with more Cyprus-inspired ones on the "autonomy and institutional integrity of both organisations."

Meanwhile, Cyprus' request to participate in Nato meetings was dismissed as "completely unreasonable" by Turkey, which is a member of the military alliance since 1952.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, tried to unblock the deadlock via "practical," confidence-building measures between Nato and the EU, such as in-theater co-operation on medical assistance, joint exercises and seminars. In a letter sent to the Nato secretary general ahead of the Lisbon summit, Ms Ashton said both organisations "should work closely with Cyprus and Turkey to identify possible ways to address the key concerns on both sides."

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, who has taken a special interest in the Cyprus issue, considers that solving the conflict is a priority for the Cypriots' sake rather than anything else. Improving EU-Nato relations "is really a sideshow to this," he told EUobserver.

"The key thing is for Cyprus to come together for its own sake. This European nation has been divided for too long. It needs political will and ability to compromise in the near future."

Column

How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right

Many conservatives in Europe seem to have forgotten the lesson of 1930s Germany. They sacrifice their principles on the altar of the polls and all-too-often try to overtake rightwing radicals on their own pet subjects like security or migration.

Opinion

My experience trying to negotiate with Uber

After working with people in unusual employment situations for a decade, I thought I had seen it all as a union organiser. Then I began dealing with Uber.

Column

How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right

Many conservatives in Europe seem to have forgotten the lesson of 1930s Germany. They sacrifice their principles on the altar of the polls and all-too-often try to overtake rightwing radicals on their own pet subjects like security or migration.

Opinion

My experience trying to negotiate with Uber

After working with people in unusual employment situations for a decade, I thought I had seen it all as a union organiser. Then I began dealing with Uber.

Latest News

  1. People-smuggling profits at historic high, EU concedes
  2. EU bets big on fossil hydrogen and carbon storage
  3. How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right
  4. My experience trying to negotiate with Uber
  5. Key battlegrounds in EU's new media legislation
  6. EU 'shocked' by Israel's war-time settler surge
  7. Platform workers could face 'robo-firing' under EU's AI rules
  8. Wilders faces tough road to power, despite election triumph

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  2. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  4. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  5. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  2. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  4. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  5. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  6. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us