“Europe has the capacity to fill the gaps created by the capabilities the US is currently withdrawing. Over time, European countries should go even further, and for that we need our defence industry. We see that Türkiye has an industry capable of meeting these needs. The European defence industry still has some steps to take before reaching that level,” he added.
Eichelsheim said European countries would be able to meet the new targets but acknowledged that doing so would take time.
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NATO 3.0
Speaking about NATO’s new vision expected to take shape at the Ankara summit, Eichelsheim said the alliance needs resilient societies and defense industries capable of responding rapidly in wartime.
“For me, NATO 3.0 means several things. First, we need resilient societies and resilient defense industries that allow us to act quickly once war begins. We must provide deterrence, but to be credible we also need an industry and a society that can support it,” he said.
He added that NATO also needs to deliver on the 3.5% spending commitment while investing not only in expensive, advanced systems but also in low-cost capabilities.
“For me, NATO 3.0 means resilient societies, resilient industry and investment not only in very expensive systems but also in low-cost light unmanned aerial vehicles and low-cost interceptor systems,” he said.
Highlighting Türkiye’s role, Eichelsheim said the country has always played a key part within NATO because of its strategic location.
“I think Türkiye plays a very important role. It has always played a very important role within the alliance. Because of its geographic location, it is the guardian of NATO’s southeastern flank. While it does this together with some partners, Türkiye is the most important country in this region,” he said.
“Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest armed forces. As the US withdraws some capabilities, we will also need Türkiye to help fill those gaps. Therefore, Türkiye’s role within NATO will become even greater. I have also seen that Türkiye is very willing to assume this role not only in its own region but in other parts of NATO as well. Türkiye has played a very important role until now, and that role will become even more important in the future,” he added.
Eichelsheim said his meetings in Ankara were productive and focused on increasing joint exercises with Türkiye, expanding the exchange of lessons from Ukraine, preparing both militaries for future warfare, making greater mutual use of defense academies and improving interoperability.
He also highlighted cooperation in the defence industry.
“I spent a day in Türkiye visiting Turkish defence companies, and I was truly impressed by the level of capability they demonstrated. I believe there are significant opportunities for cooperation in this field as well,” he said.
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