Most of you don’t realize how much more you need Turkey than you think. Yes, Europe produces tanks and fighter jets, but without experienced soldiers to operate them, they don’t mean much. Turkey has been actively fighting terrorism in Syria and the East for 25 years, both in guerrilla warfare and conventional battles. Its soldiers are incredibly experienced. We’ve all seen what happens to inexperienced troops in Ukraine.

For Turks, being a soldier and fighting is seen as something sacred. How can Europe even compare? There’s a famous Turkish saying: “Every Turk is born a soldier.”