If it was up to people like you we would be the next North Korea, you really can't see farther away than the end of your own nose.
Those NATO missions and multinational exercises provide us with invaluable experience in different areas and situations, they allow us to work with and against systems we do not own or operate. It allows our soldiers to get some experience with the systems they use under different conditions, instead of sitting on their arses or just going to same spots and doing the same things over and over again. Doing as much as we can helps us more than NATO.
And Baykar-Leonardo joint venture will easing them into European markets and also allowing them to utilize Leonardo sensors for potential customers who might get hang up on "made in EU" stuff. Either through this joint venture or through Piaggio, Baykar have a chance to make a lot of money, especially when you consider how weak the drone sector is in Europe.
Us being integrated into NATO and its systems only helps us, it doesn't hinder us.
What is sold as “cooperation” and “market access” is, in reality, nothing more than a targeted, one-way transfer of technology. Whilst the European side speaks of partnership, what is actually at stake is siphoning off know-how, operational data and development experience from Turkey – things they themselves lack.
The crux of the problem is clear:
Most European NATO states lack genuine combat data and reliable metadata from modern conflicts that is a fact. This is precisely why they seek this cooperation – not out of strength, but because of a structural gap.
In crucial areas such as:
semi-autonomous systems
electronic warfare (EW/ECM)
cyber resilience
smart munitions
Edge and Cloud AI Hard & Software
C4ISR capabilities in real Combat situation
many of these countries are not leading the way, but lagging behind. Exceptions prove the rule – such as systems like the Meteor missile or the Taurus KEPD 350 – but this does not alter the overall picture.
The real shortcoming runs deeper:
These systems are often designed for ideal conditions, not for the reality of modern battlefields. Under constant:
jamming
GPS spoofing
cyberattacks
electronic interference
constant fire
many theoretical assumptions simply fall apart. What works on paper fails under real pressure.
It is therefore no coincidence that only NATO states such as the USA, Turkey, the United Kingdom and France possess truly in-depth operational data – and treat this as a strategic asset that is not to be shared.
Air defence also speaks for itself:
Germany relies on the Patriot missile system, Arrow 3 and, in the future maybe David’s Sling for good reason.
This is an implicit admission that systems such as SAMP/T or IRIS-T SLM may aim to keep pace technologically, but have not been validated to the same extent under real-world threat scenarios – particularly in the case of complex ballistic attacks or constant fire with Cruise Missiles, Kamikaze UAV & Co.
Ultimately, a clear pattern emerges:
Europe frequently develops highly complex systems on paper, but there is a lack of consistent, battle-tested capability under real-world conditions.
Yes, there are exceptions – such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Leopard 2 or German submarines. Yet these are islands of strength, not indicative of a consistently resilient system.
The reality is uncomfortable, but clear:
Those who lack their own continuous combat data develop more slowly, iterate less effectively and remain dependent. This is precisely why this ‘cooperation’ arises – not out of balance, but out of necessity.
I would have kept my mouth shut, but after such a European decision... it really couldn’t be any more anti-Turkish.
We have to help countries like that in the event of a NATO alliance crisis – it’s just mad… in past Syria attack us with missiles, only Spain came to our aid with long term PATRIOT Systems; the rest withdrew after a few weeks or months...