Former Finnish defense minister sees room to deepen Türkiye ties

Finland and Türkiye have room to build stronger defense ties as NATO allies, former Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen told Anadolu Agency. Finland’s accession to NATO, he said, created new opportunities for cooperation between Helsinki and Ankara.

“As NATO allies, Finland and Türkiye are very well positioned to further deepen their defense cooperation,” Kaikkonen said. He described Türkiye as an important ally with strong military capabilities, a significant defense industry and a strategic position between Europe, the Black Sea and the Middle East.

Kaikkonen said a memorandum of understanding on defense industry cooperation could help strengthen bilateral relations. He also addressed security in the Baltic Sea, saying Finland was prepared for different scenarios amid heightened regional tensions. NATO membership, he said, had strengthened Finland’s deterrence, while the country would rely on its own defense forces and allied support in the event of military aggression.

He pointed to NATO’s Baltic Sentry initiative, launched to improve surveillance and protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. On European defense more broadly, Kaikkonen said industrial production remained below required levels. The war in Ukraine had exposed shortages in ammunition, air defense systems, drones, missiles and wider industrial capacity.

Kaikkonen warned that Russia could reinforce forces operating under its Leningrad Military District over the next two to four years, depending on developments in Ukraine. Russian forces near Finland could eventually rise from around 30,000 to approximately 80,000 troops, he said, although a major buildup was unlikely while the war continued. He added that future relations between Russia, Northern Europe and NATO would depend on Moscow’s adherence to international law and agreements, and that political dialogue between Europe and Russia would eventually be necessary.

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As NATO allies, Finland and Türkiye are very well positioned to further deepen their defense cooperation.