French, British, Turkish military chiefs discuss European security

Chiefs of general staff of Türkiye, France, Britain have talks on regional defense, security issues

Military chiefs from Türkiye, Britain, and France on Thursday met in Paris amid intensified discussions across the continent around restructuring European security. Turkish Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, his French counterpart Thierry Burkhard, and Britain’s Tony Radakin met in Paris to talk about regional defense and security issues. They had a "convergence of views on the need to provide a solid response to support Ukraine" and guarantee Europe’s security, Burkhard wrote on X. The meeting came just a few days after the heads of general staff from more than 30 countries met in Paris to discuss support for Ukraine, but notably without the US in attendance. Separately, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Thursday welcomed UK Defense Secretary John Healey in the Turkish capital Ankara. The two defense chiefs exchanged views on bilateral and regional defense and security issues and then chaired inter-delegation talks. These meetings take place amid efforts by European countries to beef up defense spending and cooperation amid signals that the US will have a smaller presence on the continent.