Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Erdoğan argued that Turkey is an indispensable part of European security architecture. Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 but its EU accession process has been frozen for nearly a decade.
"A Europe that excludes Turkey from its security architecture cannot possibly be stronger or safer," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, seeking a more central role for his country in European security as trans-Atlantic relations remain strained under the Trump administration.
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"As an integral part of Europe, our country plays a significant role in ensuring the welfare and security of the European continent," he said, referencing the NATO summit Ankara hosted in July as a "concrete manifestation" of Turkey's commitment.
"We are shaping our future with the European Union precisely through this strategic vision, and we expect the same vision from the European Union as well."
Erdoğan has repeated the same stance since at least April 2025, when he told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that "It has become clear once again that European security is unthinkable without Turkey."
"Turkey is ready to take responsibility for European security in the future as well," he said at the time.
Europe's indispensable partner
NATO member Turkey has been positioning itself as an indispensable partner as the White House signals that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, including in Ukraine, where Russia's all-out war has continued well into its fifth year.
As the leader of the vast Mediterranean country of some 88 million with NATO's second-largest military and a substantial domestic defence industry, Erdoğan has preserved relations with both Kyiv and Moscow throughout the war, serving as a Black Sea broker.
"First and foremost, we are compelled to change the current mindset where international law is applied differently to the strong versus to the weak," Erdoğan said in his speech.
"Secondly, whenever international efforts fall short in resolving crises, we must harness regional ownership as an effective means of addressing those issues," he added.
"As Turkey, whenever we have acted upon this principle, as in the case of the Black Sea Grain Corridor, we have achieved results, and we have contributed to both regional and global security."
According to Erdoğan, cooperation and open diplomacy are at the core of the world's future.
"History has shown us time and again through bitter experiences that there is no winner in a political approach which is built on mistrust," he emphasised.
In his speech at UN headquarters in New York, the Turkish president also discussed his relationship with his US counterpart Donald Trump.
"I believe that our relations with the United States will flourish in every field during President Trump's second term, also with the contribution of our close friendship with him," Erdoğan said.
Turkey applied for European Union membership in 1987, but the accession process has been stalled since 2018.
A European Parliament report last year said the process could not be relaunched in current circumstances despite Turkey's geopolitical importance, citing the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the crackdown on protests and broader democratic backsliding.
Reform the Security Council, Erdoğan says
On the UN Security Council, Erdoğan called for fundamental reform, arguing the current structure was no longer fit for purpose.
"The United Nations, established 81 years ago to maintain peace and security, has become unable to fulfil this mission, or rather, it has been made unable to do so," he said.
"Let's recognise that a system in which the will of more than 190 countries is subject to the whims of five countries is neither fair nor capable of fully establishing trust."
Erdoğan proposed abolishing the veto power held by the five permanent members — the US, Russia, China, the UK and France — and replacing the current structure with a council whose members the General Assembly elects for fixed terms, with no permanent seats.
"The Security Council must absolutely be reformed in accordance with the principle that the world is bigger than five," Erdoğan said.
Towards the end of his speech, the Turkish president stated that his country will "not remain silent in the face of injustice, and we’ll never consent to oppression."
"When we look at the course of the world today, we can see that there are two paths before us," he said.
"Either we’ll deepen uncertainty through fear, through conflict and isolation, or we’ll build the future together through justice, solidarity and common will."
"Of course, it is easy to punch darkness, what is difficult is to light a candle that will dispel that darkness," Erdoğan said.
"Turkey has chosen the second path, and hopefully we’ll follow it with patience," he concluded.