Türkiye and France have signed a comprehensive road map to enhance their defence and security collaboration, focusing on areas such as intelligence sharing, air defence, military training, and joint defence industry initiatives. The Turkish Defence Ministry announced that this agreement is designed to create a more structured framework for bilateral cooperation aligned with mutual interests.
As part of the road map, the two nations will conduct regular security consultations and improve coordination against hybrid threats, ensuring their defence systems are more compatible. Joint training and capacity-building activities in third countries are also planned to bolster regional stability. The agreement will see an expansion in military cooperation through personnel exchanges between military academies, as well as port visits and exercises involving land, naval, and air forces.
Additionally, Türkiye and France are set to develop joint defence projects, promote technology and information sharing, and foster increased collaboration between their defence companies. Bilateral defence meetings will be held alternately in Ankara and Paris, with the first meeting scheduled for the last quarter of 2026.
In a separate development, Türkiye has expressed criticism of Israel’s military activities in southern Syria, including raids, detentions, and air and artillery strikes. Defence Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk accused Israel of breaching the 1974 Disengagement Agreement through excavation and road expansion activities near the separation line in Quneitra. He urged the international community to take action to safeguard regional peace and stability.
Aktürk also noted the ongoing confidence-building efforts between Türkiye and Greece, with military delegations from both countries continuing exchanges and discussions under their 2026 Confidence-Building Measures Implementation Plan.
Regarding border security, the ministry reported that one member of the PKK surrendered over the past week. Turkish security forces also detained 660 individuals attempting illegal border crossings and barred another 1,383 from crossing. Since the beginning of 2026, authorities have apprehended 13,366 people attempting unauthorized crossings and prevented 53,870 others from entering illegally.