Turkish National Defence Minister Yasar Guler has said that the upcoming NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara will mark “an important turning point” in shaping the alliance’s future strategic direction as it adapts to an increasingly complex security environment.
“We do not view the NATO Summit that we will host in Ankara merely as a meeting of leaders. We believe this summit will be an important turning point that demonstrates NATO’s determination to adapt to the evolving security environment and shapes its future strategic direction,” Guler said.
The minister spoke to reporters in Brussels after attending the NATO defence ministers’ meeting and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting ahead of the July 7-8 NATO Leaders’ Summit in Ankara.
Guler said discussions focused on NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, support for Ukraine, and other security challenges.
He said he briefed counterparts on Türkiye’s contributions to NATO as one of the alliance’s top five force contributors, progress towards meeting the alliance’s 5 percent defence spending commitment, support for Ukraine, and preparations for the Ankara summit.
Guler described Türkiye’s hosting of the summit as a natural reflection of its military contributions, operational experience, and capacity to provide security within the alliance, adding that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “effective, reliable and results-oriented leadership diplomacy” would be one of the summit’s defining features.
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Defence industry and NATO capabilities
Guler said conventional threats are now accompanied by hybrid threats, cyberattacks, terrorism, energy security risks, and regional instability, requiring NATO to strengthen collective deterrence.
He emphasised that Türkiye’s domestic defence industry contributes not only to national security but also to NATO’s collective defence.
“Our indigenous and national systems support allies’ interoperability and contribute to the alliance’s overall deterrence. A strong defence industry means strong deterrence and a strong NATO,” he said.
Guler added that a Defence Industry Forum to be held alongside the Ankara summit would enhance cooperation among allies, noting that three NATO defence ministers had stressed during meetings the importance of expanding cooperation with Türkiye’s defence industry.
Türkiye’s role within NATO
Guler said Ankara expects the summit to reaffirm NATO’s collective defence principle and commitment to Article 5 while encouraging allies to take concrete steps on defence spending and capability targets.
Describing Türkiye as NATO’s second-largest military, he said the country continues to contribute actively to training, exercises, operations, and command-and-control activities across the alliance.
He also highlighted the Turkish Armed Forces’ operational experience in counterterrorism and cross-border operations, noting that Türkiye is preparing to assume command of the Allied Reaction Force, calling it “a concrete indicator of Türkiye’s reliability and strategic importance within the alliance.”
