Luxembourg’s parliamentary speaker has said Türkiye’s advances in the defence industry could pave the way for closer cooperation between the two countries.
Claude Wiseler spoke at a joint news conference with Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus in Ankara on Thursday, following bilateral and delegation-level talks.
“Türkiye has a very strong defence industry,” Wiseler said.
“We know that Türkiye has made very significant progress in this regard. Therefore, I believe there could be important partnerships in communication and information sharing when it comes to defence policies.”
As the two countries mark 80 years of diplomatic relations, Wiseler said the current geopolitical situation made it necessary to give their longstanding partnership fresh momentum.
“We are not looking for new partners. You are already a longstanding partner for us, but we want to take this partnership to another stage, to a different level,” he said.
EU ties and regional diplomacy
Kurtulmus thanked Luxembourg for its longstanding support for Türkiye’s EU membership bid.
“Luxembourg has been one of the European countries friendly to Türkiye that has supported its EU membership process from the very beginning,” he said.
He reiterated Ankara’s position that diplomacy should be the primary means of resolving regional disputes, highlighting Türkiye’s mediation efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Kurtulmus also warned that the US-Israeli war against Iran had become “an endless spiral of tension” that would benefit neither the countries involved nor the wider region and world.
The talks also covered Israel’s actions across the region, particularly what Kurtulmus described as its “inhumane actions” against Palestinians.
“We expressed our strong appreciation for Luxembourg’s decision last year to recognise the State of Palestine and conveyed our congratulations and thanks,” he said.
Caucasus peace and maritime rights
Kurtulmus said the discussions also addressed normalisation between Azerbaijan and Armenia, stressing its importance for lasting peace in the Caucasus.
He said the process, with Türkiye’s involvement, could help establish secure connections between Asia, the Caucasus and Europe.
On Türkiye’s maritime delimitation agreement with Libya, Kurtulmus said the deal was not directed against any third country.
“It is an agreement that will safeguard the sovereign rights of Türkiye and Libya in their maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean,” he said.
