NATO summit host Turkey sees its alliance clout rising amid war raging nearby

ANKARA — Host country Turkey expects from the NATO summit here this week that national leaders will reaffirm the alliance’s principle of collective defense enshrined in Article 5, according to Defense Minister Yaşar Güler.

Speaking last month in Brussels, Güler described the 7–8 July gathering as a critical turning point where NATO will demonstrate its determination to adapt to the changing security environment and where its future strategic direction will be shaped.

Given the volatile security landscape in Europe, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in its fifth year, and war in the Middle East, Turkey’s leaders see the country’s strategic relevance for NATO on the rise.

The summit in Ankara comes at a moment when the alliance is reassessing its strategic identity amid shifting U.S. priorities in Europe, an evolving Russian threat environment, and increasing demands on European defense capabilities.

“With its strong military, advanced defense industry, effective diplomacy and strategic vision, Turkey will continue to be a key actor in NATO, Euro‑Atlantic security and regional stability,” Güler said.

Ankara acknowledges that the United States’ military restructuring in Europe requires European Allies to increase their investment and fill the gaps.

For Güler, Turkey’s growing defense sector is one of the assets to showcase at this year’s summit.

“We believe that the Defence Industry Forum, which will be held as part of the NATO Summit in Ankara, will make an important contribution to enhancing defense industrial cooperation among allies,” Güler said.

Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu, a senior fellow at the Abu Dhabi‑based TRENDS Research and Advisory consultancy, said the development of the Turkish defense industry increases Turkey’s weight within NATO.

However, this newfound clout risks running into political obstacles inherent in NATO’s relationship with the European Union, he said.

“With the vacuum created by increasingly isolationist U.S. policies, NATO is gradually taking on a more distinctly European character. As illustrated by Turkey’s effective exclusion from the SAFE program despite being a NATO ally, the obstacles created by Greek and Cypriot vetoes clearly demonstrate this reality,” Çubukçuoğlu said.

Megan Elizabeth Gisclon, managing editor and researcher at the Istanbul Policy Center, said the size of Turkey’s military and the government’s diplomatic ties with Middle Eastern nations as well as Russia make for a well rounded contribution to NATO.

Cem Devrim Yaylali is a Turkey correspondent for Defense News. He is a keen photographer of military ships and has a passion for writing about naval and defense issues. He was born in Paris, France, and resides in Istanbul, Turkey. He is married with one son.

安卡拉——据国防部长亚沙尔·居莱尔称，东道国土耳其希望本周在此举行的北约峰会上，各国领导人将重申北约第五条所载的集体防御原则。

居勒上个月在布鲁塞尔发表讲话时，将 7 月 7 日至 8 日的会议描述为一个关键的转折点，北约将在此次会议上展现其适应不断变化的安全环境的决心，并塑造其未来的战略方向。

鉴于欧洲安全形势动荡，俄罗斯入侵乌克兰已进入第五年，中东战事持续，土耳其领导人认为该国对北约的战略重要性正在上升。

此次安卡拉峰会召开之际，正值北约重新评估其战略定位之时，而这又与美国在欧洲的优先事项转变、俄罗斯威胁环境的演变以及对欧洲国防能力日益增长的需求密切相关。

“凭借其强大的军事力量、先进的国防工业、有效的外交手段和战略眼光，土耳其将继续在北约、欧洲-大西洋安全和地区稳定中发挥关键作用，”居莱尔说。

安卡拉承认，美国在欧洲的军事结构调整需要欧洲盟国增加投资并填补空白。

对于居莱尔来说，土耳其不断发展的国防工业是今年峰会上需要展示的优势之一。

“我们相信，作为北约峰会的一部分在安卡拉举行的国防工业论坛，将为加强盟国之间的国防工业合作做出重要贡献，”居勒说。

阿布扎比 TRENDS 研究咨询公司的高级研究员 Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu 表示，土耳其国防工业的发展提高了土耳其在北约中的地位。

他表示，然而，这种新获得的实力可能会遇到北约与欧盟关系中固有的政治障碍。

“随着美国日益孤立主义的政策造成的权力真空，北约正逐渐呈现出更加鲜明的欧洲特征。土耳其作为北约盟国却被有效地排除在SAFE计划之外，希腊和塞浦路斯的否决权所造成的障碍清楚地表明了这一现实，” Çubukçuoğlu说道。

伊斯坦布尔政策中心执行编辑兼研究员梅根·伊丽莎白·吉斯克隆表示，土耳其的军事规模以及土耳其政府与中东国家和俄罗斯的外交关系，使其对北约做出了全面贡献。

杰姆·德夫里姆·亚伊拉利是《防务新闻》驻土耳其记者。他热衷于拍摄军舰，并对海军和国防议题充满热情。他出生于法国巴黎，现居土耳其伊斯坦布尔。他已婚，育有一子。