As NATO leaders converge on Türkiye’s capital for the alliance’s 36th summit, Ankara is emerging as much more than the venue for a gathering of military allies.
The two-day summit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, with Russia’s war in Ukraine, instability across the Middle East and renewed debates over transatlantic burden-sharing reshaping NATO’s priorities. Against that backdrop, the Turkish capital is set to host not only formal alliance meetings but also a series of high-stakes bilateral engagements that could influence the course of regional and global diplomacy.
Following his arrival in Ankara on Monday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex to review the summit agenda and discuss regional and global developments.
Erdogan said Türkiye had completed all preparations for the summit and voiced hope that it would “produce positive results” for the alliance. He also stressed that discussions should span “from collective defence to strengthening defence industry cooperation among allies,” highlighting the growing importance of NATO’s industrial capacity alongside its military capabilities.
Defence industry in the spotlight
The emphasis on defence production reflects one of the defining themes of this year’s summit. Even before leaders formally convene, governments are using the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara to unveil new investment plans and industrial partnerships aimed at strengthening the alliance’s long-term deterrence.
Among the first announcements, Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yesilgoz told reporters in Ankara that the Netherlands will unveil more than €3 billion worth of new defence projects and procurement plans, including air-defence cooperation with Belgium and naval programmes with the United Kingdom. “We need each other for our own safety and security,” she said, adding that Europe should continue investing in its defence industry regardless of political changes in Washington.
The summit is also expected to reinforce Türkiye’s own ambitions as a defence manufacturing hub. Turkish officials have repeatedly pointed to the Defence Industry Forum as one of the signature events of the week, with Erdogan saying it is expected to attract significant international attention.
Türkiye’s role as host reflects more than symbolism, according to Mehmet Ozkan, Professor of International Relations at the Joint War Institute at the Turkish National Defence University.
“As NATO increasingly prioritises defence production, supply chains and industrial resilience, Türkiye’s expanding defence-industrial capacity becomes a significant asset,” he told TRT World. “Ankara’s role therefore extends beyond geography; it represents NATO’s effort to integrate capable defence producers into its emerging industrial architecture.”
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Ankara’s diplomatic moment
Beyond defence, diplomacy is likely to dominate the margins of the summit.
Marian Duris, a foreign policy expert at the European Parliament, believes the significance of the Ankara summit extends well beyond defence spending targets. “Security cannot be reduced only to the area of defence spending,” Duris told TRT World.
“It must reflect geography, industrial capacity and the identification of real threats.” He said Türkiye’s strategic position at the intersection of Europe, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Middle East makes it uniquely relevant across multiple security theatres, adding that Ankara’s role as host reflects its growing geopolitical weight within the alliance.
