Erdoğan considers peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is reportedly planning to send troops on a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine.

According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, Türkiye’s influence in the region continues to grow as the US reviews its commitments to Europe.

Bloomberg also reported that Erdoğan is seeking closer defense and economic cooperation from the EU in exchange for security guarantees.

The agency’s sources suggested that this cooperation could include the participation of Turkish soldiers in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

Sources interviewed by the agency stated that Ankara is considering the possibility of a mission where the Turkish side would help monitor the situation on the contact line in Ukraine, without being involved in the conflict.

It was previously reported that Erdoğan had discussed the deployment of Turkish peacekeeping troops with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Meanwhile, at a press conference following a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk yesterday, Erdoğan stated that EU membership is a strategic goal for Türkiye.

Erdoğan also noted the necessity of having an Islamic country with veto power in the United Nations Security Council.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated, “Proposals to send peacekeepers to the conflict zone seem like attempts to rescue the authorities in Kyiv.”

However, an unnamed Turkish official told Reuters that there is no clear plan yet regarding a new European security architecture or Turkey’s potential contributions to it, but certain steps could advance cooperation.

The official said, “Instead of including Türkiye in projects ‘à la carte,’ it would make more sense to seek more holistic partnerships [for Europe]. For example, they could start by including Türkiye in the European Peace Facility program.”

An unnamed Ministry of National Defense official also stated that Ankara and Europe have common interests, from counter-terrorism to migration, and that Türkiye’s full participation in EU defense efforts is critical for Europe to become a global actor, adding that Ankara is ready to do its utmost to help create the new security framework.

Another European diplomat said that Türkiye’s involvement in security guarantees for Ukraine is vital.

“Erdoğan’s interests currently align with ours, especially since he no longer has the Russia dynamic in Syria,” the diplomat said.

“So, in a way, the stars have aligned for them to play a role in the future guarantees that Europe will give to Ukraine,” the diplomat added.