Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday called for Türkiye to be integrated into Europe’s defense framework and for restrictions on its defense industry to be lifted, as the country prepares to host a NATO summit.

Erdoğan said that addressing current security challenges requires a fair sharing of responsibilities among allies and the removal of barriers affecting defense trade.

He stressed that Türkiye should be included in European defense and security initiatives and integrated into related projects, criticizing its exclusion from the European Union’s SAFE defense program.

The European Commission responded by stating that existing regulations allow non-EU countries to participate in SAFE projects with a contribution of up to 35 percent.