Turkish, Spanish lawmakers laud growing ties

The heads of foreign affairs committees of the Turkish Parliament and the Spanish Senate met in Ankara on Thursday.

Turkish committee chair Fuat Oktay welcomed Spain’s Pilar Milagros Rojo Noguera, as the two countries have a newfound momentum in bilateral relations.

In his remarks during the meeting at Parliament, Oktay emphasized the importance of relations between Türkiye and Spain , stating that the two countries' similar positions on humanitarian issues and regional challenges, especially regarding Gaza, have strengthened the bond between their peoples.

Oktay said that cooperation between the two countries should be further enhanced in the fields of communications, technology, innovation and the defense industry. “I believe that mutual investments on a bilateral basis should increase, and that we can also jointly evaluate opportunities in third countries, including Ibero-America, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, Ukraine and Syria,” he said.

Stating that security and defense industry cooperation between Türkiye and Spain is exemplary, Oktay said: “Spain’s deployment of a Patriot missile battery in our country for the past 11 years, as well as the agreement regarding the procurement of (Türkiye’s) Hürjet aircraft, are important indicators of our alliance spirit and solidarity. These areas of cooperation will continue to expand.”

Noting that Türkiye values Spain’s principled stance on the Palestinian issue, Oktay said: “We are pleased with the developments concerning the peace agreement in Iran and hope that this will contribute to lasting peace and security in our region. We welcome Spain’s support for Türkiye’s European Union membership process. During today’s meeting, in addition to bilateral relations, we will have the opportunity to discuss Türkiye-EU relations, Euro-Atlantic security, Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, Latin America and the Caribbean, the war in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, the situation in Syria, and other regional developments.”

Pilar Milagros Rojo Noguera, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Senate, also emphasized the importance of their visit to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Referring to relations between Türkiye and Spain, Noguera stated that both countries are assuming responsibilities in the face of the challenges currently affecting the region.