High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas has told the European Parliament that the EU cannot prevent Member States from participating in Turkish military exercises that simulate the occupation of Greek and Cypriot islands, as such decisions fall under national sovereignty. In a written answer to a question from Greek MEP Nikolaos Anadiotis (NI), Kallas stated that the EU has no prerogatives in this area and no specific legal instrument governs Member States' participation in third-country military drills. The answer, published on 27 July 2026, leaves the matter entirely to individual capitals, disappointing Athens and Nicosia which had sought a common EU stance against Ankara's revisionist 'Blue Homeland' doctrine.
The question was prompted by Turkey's 'EFES 2026' exercise, which included landing and air-drop scenarios aimed at occupying islands, directly threatening the territorial integrity of EU members Greece and Cyprus. Anadiotis expressed deep concern that several Member States attended as observers or contributed units, arguing this undermines European solidarity and the Common Security and Defence Policy. Kallas, however, deflected responsibility, noting only that she remains in close contact with Member States on security and defence developments. She reiterated the EU's longstanding position that Turkey must commit to good neighbourly relations and peaceful dispute settlement, a stance consistently endorsed by the Council and European Council, and raised during her own and Commissioner for Enlargement's recent visits to Ankara. The answer contains no concrete proposals, deadlines, or new measures, merely reaffirming existing declaratory policy. Institutional follow-up is unlikely in the near term, as the EU lacks the legal tools to compel Member States to align their bilateral military cooperation with third countries.