Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said NATO is adapting to a changed security environment and that the United States does not intend to withdraw from the alliance, as Turkey prepares to host NATO leaders in Ankara on July 7 and 8.
Guler made the comments in written responses to Reuters ahead of the summit, which will bring together leaders from NATO’s 32 member states, along with officials from partner countries in the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region. The meeting comes as allies face renewed debate over defence spending, burden-sharing, support for Ukraine and the role of the United States in European security.
“NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defence,” Guler told Reuters. “We evaluate the period we are going through not as a crisis, but as a process of adjusting to the changing security environment.”
The summit is expected to focus on alliance unity, increased defence spending, defence industry cooperation and continued assistance for Ukraine. Guler said Washington was not seeking to leave NATO, but wanted European allies and Canada to take on more responsibility for Europe’s security.
Turkey has also used the run-up to the summit to press for a greater role in European defence initiatives. Guler said Europe’s security planning should include Ankara, a long-standing NATO member with a large military and a strategic position between Europe, the Middle East and the Black Sea.
The Ankara summit will be held at a sensitive moment for the alliance. NATO has expanded to 32 members following Finland and Sweden’s accession, while the war in Ukraine continues to drive defence planning across Europe. NATO says its members are committed to collective defence and make political and security decisions by consensus.
The meeting also comes after U.S. complaints about limited allied involvement in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, during wider regional tensions involving Iran. Reuters reported that the issue has added to existing friction over spending and burden-sharing.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the summit should strengthen alliance solidarity and called for restrictions on defence trade with Turkey to be lifted. “If we want to combat the tests we are facing, we must lift restrictions on defence industry trade while carrying out burden sharing in a balanced and fair manner,” Erdogan said, according to Reuters.
For Ankara, the summit is also an opportunity to underline Turkey’s position inside NATO after years of disputes with some allies over defence procurement, regional policy and relations with Russia.
