President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday that the NATO summit in Ankara underscored Türkiye’s central role in the alliance and global security, highlighting key decisions to strengthen NATO’s deterrence, expand defense cooperation and reinforce transatlantic unity.
Following the two-day summit, Erdoğan said the gathering came at a time when the global security architecture is being reshaped by great-power competition, hybrid threats, regional conflicts and emerging technologies.
“The summit once again demonstrated our country’s central role in the global security architecture, its diplomatic capacity and its responsibility as an ally,” he wrote on US social media platform X.
He said the alliance’s “NATO 3.0” vision aims to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities and better prepare NATO for evolving security challenges, adding that Türkiye remains “one of NATO’s strongest actors” thanks to its military capabilities, strategic location, diplomatic experience and defense industry.
DEFENSE COOPERATION, NATO TRANSFORMATION
Erdoğan said the summit opened with a Defense Industry Forum, where allies discussed joint production, strengthening supply chains, coordination in defense technologies and expanding cooperation among NATO members.
He said leaders reaffirmed their determination to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities, reinforce the transatlantic bond and build the alliance’s future on the foundation of “a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO.”
The Ankara Summit Declaration reaffirmed allies’ unwavering commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and the principle of collective defense, according to Erdoğan.
The declaration also prioritized removing barriers to defense trade among allies, more than $50 billion in new defense procurement agreements, military equipment, aid and training for Ukraine, and expanding defense industrial capacity, he said.
Additional priorities included enhancing NATO’s capabilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space, integrated air and missile defense, unmanned systems and deep precision strike technologies, Erdoğan added.
“As Türkiye, we will continue to make the strongest contribution to this process with our experience, military capabilities and growing defense industry infrastructure,” he said.
BILATERAL DIPLOMACY ON SUMMIT SIDELINES
Erdoğan said he held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The meetings focused on bilateral relations, Türkiye’s ties with the EU, defense industry cooperation, trade, energy, security, Euro-Atlantic security, the Balkan Peace Platform, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Iran-US process, the Gaza Strip, Libya, Syria and regional stability, he said.
Erdoğan also said Türkiye and the UK signed a Security and Defense Partnership Agreement during the summit, while negotiations for a free trade agreement with Canada were launched.
He expressed confidence that his meeting with Trump would produce concrete results in line with Türkiye’s expectations in the defense sector, particularly regarding fighter jets.
“I believe that the constructive and productive meeting we held with my dear friend US President Mr. Trump, who paid an official visit to our country on the occasion of the summit, will lead to concrete results in line with our country’s expectations, particularly regarding our national combat aircraft KAAN and the F-35 program,” said Erdoğan.
TÜRKİYE’S DEFENSE COMMITMENTS
Erdoğan said Türkiye reaffirmed its commitment to increase defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product before 2030, while security- and resilience-related expenditures have already reached 1.5% of the budget.
He announced that Türkiye allocated an additional $24 billion to strengthen its air and missile defense capabilities under the Steel Dome Project.
The president said Türkiye remains committed to keeping diplomatic channels open to promote peace in the Russia-Ukraine war while advocating restraint, diplomacy and a lasting peace process in the Iran-US talks.
He added that Ankara will continue supporting ceasefires, stability and multilateral cooperation on Gaza, Lebanon and Libya.
“The intensive two-day Ankara Summit demonstrated that Türkiye is a central actor shaping NATO’s security agenda, keeping dialogue channels open during crises, preserving a regional peace perspective and making tangible contributions to the alliance’s transformation through its defense industry capacity,” said Erdoğan.
“Türkiye will continue to strengthen cooperation with its allies and contribute to global peace and security with determination,” he added.
SUMMIT CONCLUDES SUCCESSFULLY
Erdoğan said the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government concluded successfully, thanking participants, organizers and the people of Ankara for helping ensure the event’s success.
He said the summit, held at the Presidential Complex, brought together the heads of state and government of NATO’s 32 member countries, nearly 100 ministers, senior diplomats, representatives of international organizations and other guests.
Authorities maintained “a delicate balance” between ensuring the highest level of security and protecting citizens’ rights and freedoms throughout the summit, according to Erdoğan.
Security, transportation, coordination and public order measures were carefully planned to safeguard leaders, maintain daily life in the city and ensure the international community received accurate information while minimizing disruptions to residents, he said.
MEDIA OPERATIONS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Presidential National Library served as the international media center, providing workspace for 1,800 people, 40 editing rooms and numerous live broadcast locations, Erdoğan said.
More than 2,500 journalists covered the summit, marking record media participation, while public broadcaster TRT coordinated worldwide broadcasts using 96 cameras, 18 outside broadcasting vehicles and live transmissions from 26 locations, he added.
The summit also made “a significant contribution” to promoting Ankara internationally, he said.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to my fellow citizens of Ankara for the tolerance and unique hospitality they demonstrated throughout the summit, which also made a significant contribution to promoting our capital,” he said.
He also thanked law enforcement personnel, media workers, technical teams, health care staff, transportation personnel, protocol officials and catering services for contributing to the event.
“On behalf of myself and my nation, I express my gratitude to all my brothers and sisters who worked selflessly to ensure the summit was held smoothly,” said Erdoğan.
The president also thanked Rutte for “his cooperation-oriented approach and efforts in the preparation and organization of the NATO Ankara summit.”
