U.S. European Command hosted leaders from the Turkish General Staff and Ministry of National Defense from 13-15 June as part of annual U.S.-Türkiye Combined Planning Committee (CPC) talks that identify cooperative activities and coordinate resolution of political-military issues.
The discussions focused on deterrence and defense in the European theater of operations. The forum facilitates discussion between senior military leaders at EUCOM and Türkiye on ground, air, and maritime cooperation efforts as well as training exercises.
“Operational readiness across all domains begins with planning and coordination with our NATO Allies,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Bryony Terrell, Deputy Director for EUCOM’s J5 Strategy, Plans and Capabilities Directorate. “This meeting develops and refines the framework for mutually beneficial security cooperation between the United States and Türkiye.”
In addition to extensive discussion on combined training, the delegations also addressed educational and collaborative opportunities through diplomatic and military channels, identifying areas of support required to maintain operational readiness and interoperability between both nations’ militaries.
"The CPC has been an excellent opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues including bilateral, regional, and global affairs,” said Brig. Gen. Tansel Cokuysal, head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Turkish General Staff. “I’d also like to thank the Department of Defense for its response efforts to the February earthquakes in Türkiye and we appreciate all the support to provide relief to the people of Türkiye."
The 2023 CPC was the first iteration since 2018 and is a cornerstone of the United States-Türkiye military relationship. The engagement was very successful and produced a signed agreement with fifteen agreed-to actions.
“We hosted this engagement in-person as we seek to increase approaches of mutually beneficial security cooperation with Türkiye, a critical NATO Ally,” said Terrell. “The relationship building that took place here on Patch Barracks was vital for furthering our mutual interests.”
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About USEUCOM
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. USEUCOM is comprised of more than 65,000 permanent military personnel supported by rotational forces and DoD civilians working closely with NATO Allies and partners. The command is one of two U.S. forward-deployed geographic combatant commands headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. For more information about USEUCOM, visit www.eucom.mil.
