NATO is adjusting to a shifting global security environment and the United States is not seeking to leave the alliance, Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler told Reuters ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Ankara.
Türkiye will host 32 NATO leaders, along with officials from the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region, on 7–8 July for a summit it says will highlight alliance unity and strengthen deterrence.
Güler dismissed concerns about Washington’s long-term commitment to the alliance, despite political tensions and repeated statements by U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to reconsider America’s role in NATO.
In written responses, he said the United States had “no intention of withdrawing” from the alliance, but was instead seeking to shift more responsibility for European security onto NATO’s European members and Canada.
He added that NATO should not view the current period as a crisis, but rather as an adjustment to a changing security environment.
“NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defence,” Güler said.
According to Güler, key priorities for the Ankara summit will include increasing defence spending among allies, strengthening the transatlantic defence industry, reinforcing unity within NATO, and expanding support for Ukraine.
He said efforts to develop a concrete roadmap for a stronger European defence pillar were expected to intensify during the meeting.
Washington’s role in NATO remains “strategically essential”, he added, particularly through extended deterrence and nuclear sharing arrangements.
The summit comes amid ongoing disputes between allies over defence spending and burden-sharing, with the United States pressing European partners to increase their military contributions.
Last year, NATO members agreed on a long-term defence spending target of 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Güler said Türkiye was committed to the goal and was gradually increasing its own spending, with plans to meet capability targets by 2029.
He said priorities include drones, air defence systems, missile defence, naval platforms, cyber capabilities, and unmanned systems, adding that Türkiye’s “Steel Dome” integrated air defence project would be completed “as soon as possible”.
Güler also criticised European defence initiatives that he said excluded Türkiye, arguing that such an approach weakened overall security cooperation.
While Ankara supports efforts to strengthen European defence capabilities, he said these initiatives would be more effective if they included Türkiye’s industrial and military capacity.
“We believe excluding such an important capacity from Europe’s defence initiatives is a strategically inaccurate approach,” he said.
Air defence remains a key priority for Türkiye, which lacks a fully independent missile defence system and relies partly on NATO infrastructure.
Güler said Ankara is evaluating “all options” to meet its needs, including potential purchases of U.S. Patriot systems or Franco-Italian SAMP-T systems, alongside joint production and technology-sharing arrangements.
He added that discussions with relevant partners are ongoing on an intermittent basis, as Türkiye seeks solutions aligned with both national security needs and alliance cooperation.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has promised to avenge the killing of his father, while U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran and Washin...
A Miami-based tycoon wanted in Albania for allegedly laundering drug money is suspected of faking the deeds to land where Donald Trump’s son-in-law ...
Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 36 people, including the mayor of an Ankara district controlled by the main opposition, over alleged...
A Miami-based tycoon wanted in Albania for allegedly laundering drug money is suspected of faking the deeds to land where Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner wants to build a controversial multi-billion dollar resort, the country’s organised crime agency said in case files reviewed by Reuters.
Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 36 people, including the mayor of an Ankara district controlled by the main opposition, over alleged bribery and tender-rigging.
A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering British politician Ann Widdecombe has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, UK police have said.
Israel's decision to recognise the so-called Armenian genocide has triggered diplomatic tensions with Azerbaijan, one of its closest strategic partners.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
Dozens of flights have been cancelled across East Asia as Super Typhoon Bavi approaches China. The typhoon, which has maximum sustained winds of 162 kph (100mph), is nearing a remote chain of Japanese islands, east of Taiwan on Friday.
A Miami-based tycoon wanted in Albania for allegedly laundering drug money is suspected of faking the deeds to land where Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner wants to build a controversial multi-billion dollar resort, the country’s organised crime agency said in case files reviewed by Reuters.
A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering British politician Ann Widdecombe has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, UK police have said.
Russia launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s capital early on Saturday, injuring at least 10 people, officials said. The attack came as Kyiv faces a shortage of air defence munitions while awaiting fresh supplies to counter Russian strikes.
The remains of 10 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide were carried to the Potočari Memorial Cemetery in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday ahead of their burial during the 31st anniversary commemoration.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 11 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment