Turkey and Poland: Historic Allies Unite for European Security and Peace

Strengthening Historic Partnership

Poland has launched a diplomatic offensive to strengthen regional security, marked by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s recent visit to Ankara to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The meeting highlighted the strategic importance of both nations as key NATO allies positioned on the eastern and southern flanks of the alliance, with the two countries commanding NATO’s two largest ground armies in Europe.

Military and Security Cooperation

The defense partnership between the two nations has seen significant advancement, notably with Poland becoming the first NATO country to purchase Turkish UAV systems, acquiring 24 Bayraktar TB2 drones in 2021.

Energy cooperation has also emerged as a crucial aspect of their partnership, with Turkey’s role as a gas transit hub complementing Poland’s LNG diversification strategy. Turkey’s TANAP pipeline transfers over 16 bcm of gas annually to Europe, while Poland maintains its Świnoujście terminal with a regasification capacity of 8.3 bcm/year.

Ukraine Crisis and Regional Security

Both nations have maintained their commitment to peace since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Recent developments include Warsaw’s support for talks held in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine agreed to a US-proposed immediate one-month ceasefire, pending Moscow’s acceptance.

While the Ukraine war has led to closer strategic cooperation between Turkey and Poland, their approaches differ: Poland has provided open support to Kyiv, while Turkey has adopted a “balance policy,” supporting Ukraine with military equipment while maintaining economic and diplomatic relations with Russia.

Future Prospects

The strengthening relationship between Poland and Turkey offers valuable insights for EU-Turkey defence cooperation, with potential benefits including anchoring Turkey in Western defence infrastructure and establishing closer coordination regarding Ukraine’s security future and the Black Sea Basin.

Looking ahead, both nations are focused on regional stabilization and the reconstruction of Ukraine, which presents opportunities for both Polish and Turkish companies to contribute to rebuilding efforts.