Turkey-Romania cooperation key for regional peace and stability, Ankara says

HISTORICAL ties between Turks and Romanians, strong economic relations, an active presence in regional formats and joint contributions to trans-Atlantic security under NATO, including through trilateral mechanisms like the one set up with Poland, make Turkey and Romania pillars of peace and stability, Ankara said yesterday.

A joint press release from the foreign ministries of the two countries on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration for the Strategic Partnership Between the Republic of Turkey and Romania said that: “Good neighborly relations between Turkey and Romania set a traditional line of solidarity in the contemporary history of our region. Our close interaction has made great strides in promoting good neighborly relations, peace, stability, regional cooperation and sustainable economic development in the aftermath of the Cold War. It has gradually gained a multidimensional character and evolved into an extensive and multifaceted model of collaboration.”

Underlining that the key roles Turkey and Romania play in the development and security of the region point to the strategic elements of their relationship the press release also said that the steadily growing interaction and cooperation culminated in the Strategic Partnership Declaration in 2011.

“At the same time, standing together as two good neighbors, we continue to foster security and development in a wider geography, stretching between the Balkans and the Black Sea region. As two strategic partners and allies, we believe that our region’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration plays a crucial role in ensuring durable peace and stability all over Europe,” the statement said.

“We are determined to elevate this close relationship to new heights to the benefit of our people, allies and partners by extending its strategic dimension and by increasing our resilience in the face of the ever-growing challenges of the contemporary world,” it added.

Aside from security-oriented issues, NATO’s eastern flank countries, Turkey, Romania and Poland, have also been focusing on various issues, such as Turkey’s European Union talks. Romania and Poland have traditionally supported Turkey’s accession to the EU.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in October underlined the importance of cooperation between Turkey and Eastern and Central European countries during a security forum in Poland’s capital Warsaw.

He also underscored the “very important” trilateral mechanism between Turkey, Poland and Romania and said, “We decided to upgrade this mechanism to the leaders’ level, and in Turkey next year, we will bring the leaders together.”

When asked about ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO, Çavuşoğlu said the Black Sea was key to Euro-Atlantic security.

“That is exactly what we’re doing as NATO allies, and the Black Sea countries, as well,” he said, adding that this was the “main reason” for establishing the trilateral cooperation mechanism with Poland and Romania.

“So, we need to show our solidarity. Of course, at the same time, we have to be realistic. And we have this dual-track approach at NATO toward Russia,” he explained.