Erdogan – Sanchez | Strengthening of bilateral relations and military cooperation

Defence Redefined

18/11/2021

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was in Ankara, accompanied by six Ministers of his government, to attend the 7th Spanish – Turkish summit held in the Turkish capital. According to ERT, the main aim of the Spanish delegation is the sale of warships to Turkey, which will be the focus of talks with Erdogan and beyond.

The strengthening of military cooperation was one of the pillars of the said official visit. Spain is one of Turkey’s closest allies in the EU and a NATO partner that still maintains Patriot missiles on the Syrian-Turkish border since 2015, although other NATO members have already withdrawn.

In addition, other issues were discussed, such as the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, bilateral trade relations, immigration, and cooperation plans in areas such as defence, while several agreements were signed. Moncloa sources emphasise the good bilateral relations between the two countries, especially their trade relations, and hope to recover the amount of 13 billion euros reached in 2019 which was then decreased in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The TCG Anadolu and Turkey – Spain Agreement

Turkey also instructed the Spanish shipyard Navantia to design an amphibious ship LHD similar to the Juan Carlos I to be put in service next year. The contract included the construction of a second similar ship, but this has not yet been finalized.

“Turkey planned to use both ships as platforms for F-35 aircraft, but the Pentagon canceled the sale after Erdogan bought the S-400 air defence system from Russia. The Turkish Navy is now less oriented towards the operational use of the TCG Anadolu as a helicopter carrier, and more towards equipping it with drones,” the El País newspaper reported.

In addition, the Spanish Navantia participated in the Idef weapons exhibition in Istanbul last August, where it showcased the F-110 frigate and the S-80 submarine, being built for the Spanish Navy. The first stop for the Spanish delegation was Kemal Ataturk’s mausoleum in Ankara, followed by a formal dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the two sides met.

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