Türkiye and Poland are working to strengthen cooperation as two indispensable NATO allies, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, highlighting shared efforts to bolster Europe’s security and defence architecture.

Speaking alongside Polish President Karol Nawrocki at a joint press conference in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdogan said the two countries are aligned on the need to reinforce NATO’s deterrence capabilities and strengthen the alliance’s European pillar ahead of next month’s NATO summit in the Turkish capital.

Security and defence in focus

Erdogan described Türkiye and Poland as key partners within NATO and said cooperation between the two countries is becoming increasingly important amid evolving regional and global security challenges.

He noted that preparations for the upcoming NATO summit were among the issues discussed during talks with Nawrocki, emphasising the importance of alliance unity and collective defence.

Trade target raised to $15 billion

The Turkish president also pointed to growing economic ties, announcing that Ankara and Warsaw have set a new bilateral trade target of $15 billion after successfully reaching their previous goal of $10 billion.

Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to advancing relations with the European Union on the basis of mutual benefit and thanked Poland for supporting Ankara’s long-standing bid for EU membership.

On regional issues, he said Türkiye expects Poland to continue backing a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, noting that Warsaw is among the countries that recognise the State of Palestine.

For his part, Nawrocki confirmed that he will attend the upcoming NATO summit and congratulated Türkiye on hosting the alliance’s high-level gathering.