As a matter of fact, Sanchez openly stated that they "want Turkey to be a part of the EU” in the meeting with Erdoğan. Looking at the European Union dimension of bilateral relations, Spain does not oppose Turkey’s EU membership, unlike some other member states such as Austria, France, the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus or Greece. It should also be noted that the fact that Spain is among the least preferred destinations for Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) militants minimizes possible risks in bilateral relations. For example, since both sides are fighting ethnic and separatist organizations – the PKK in Turkey and the ETA (an acronym for Euskadi ta Askatasuna or “Basque Homeland and Freedom” in the Basque language) in Spain – they are able to understand each other regarding counterterrorism. For instance, there is no tension between Turkey and Spain like the high-level tension between Turkey and France in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh or Syria.Īdditionally, both parties are very sensitive to the issues that are important to each other.
Regarding political relations, it can be said that Ankara and Madrid have no serious and visible problems because there is no area where the two countries struggle for power in terms of foreign policy. As a result, it would not be wrong to say that Turkish-Spanish relations are based on positive historical grounds. Spain’s orientation toward newly discovered continents for exploration purposes instead of the area dominated by the Ottoman Empire in this period was the main factor that minimized the risk of conflict between the parties.Īs a matter of fact, the close relationship established between the Ottoman sultan and the king of Spain through ambassadors in 1783, a turning point in terms of Turkish-Spanish relations, has survived almost fully intact until today. However, after the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the two sides never entered any wide-ranging military conflicts. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the two sides were engaged in a tight power struggle in nearby regions until the 16th century. In order to make sense of today’s Turkish-Spanish relations, it is necessary to briefly look at the historical background of bilateral relations. After the visit – deemed important for the strengthening of bilateral relations that have been dormant for a long time – commercial ties, in particular, are expected to strengthen between the two countries.
17 and attended the Turkey-Spain intergovernmental summit with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez paid an important visit to Ankara on Nov.