Security conference kicks off in Berlin with Turkish partnership

BERLIN - Anadolu Agency

The two-day Berlin Security Conference, one of the most prominent forums on European security and defense, is starting on Dec. 2.

Turkey is the partner country of this year’s conference, which brings together around 1,000 participants from more than 50 countries.

In an interview with the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, the conference’s organizer, Uwe Proll, said Turkey was a reliable partner of the European Union and NATO and that they would listen to its views on the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine.

“At no other time could Turkey have been a better partner for the Berlin Security Conference,” Proll said.

“We think that Turkey is a perfect partner for the conference this year as it will focus on Europe’s neighborhood, unrest and instability,” he said.

“We are going to discuss recent developments in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine and it is very important for us to see what Turkey’s positions are on the conflicts in these countries. I think Turkey is a good partner to find common positions with,” Proll said, dubbing the country “an anchor in the Middle East.”     

Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz and Lt.-Gen. Alpaslan Doğan, chief of the plans and policy division of the Turkish General Staff, are among the top officials who are expected to deliver remarks at the Berlin Security Conference.

Proll said the conference would focus on military projects and political efforts toward developing a common European security and defense policy.

He said Turkey and European partners could also develop closer cooperation in this area.

Proll said the three important military topics in this year’s conference would be cyber security, missile defense and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).

The organizer also said Turkey’s development in the defense industry in the last few years would also be on the table of discussions as a Turkish delegation bigger than previous years would attend the event.

“The discussions will reveal new opportunities in this field,” he said.

Representatives of Turkey’s leading defense industry companies, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), military software company Havelsan and missile specialists Roketsan will be among the participants at the gathering.