On June 29 local time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey hopes the NATO summit to be held in Ankara next month will emphasize the unity of the alliance. He called for the removal of defense trade restrictions and asked for Turkey’s involvement in initiatives aimed at strengthening European security.
According to Reuters, from July 7th to 8th, Ankara will host 32 leaders from NATO member countries, as well as officials from Gulf and Asia-Pacific region partners. Previously, there have been tensions within the NATO alliance regarding burden-sharing, defense spending, and the dissatisfaction of the United States over its allies not participating in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz during the Middle Eastern conflicts.
Erdogan expressed at the NATO member state parliamentary meeting in Istanbul that “our main expectation for this summit is achieving results, and we can ensure the safety of our allies while strengthening the spirit of unity and cooperation among the alliance.”
He said that allies will also discuss conflicts in Iran, Ukraine, and Gaza during the meeting. He added that Ankara hopes its allies will provide more support to help end the armed rebellion of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) for over 40 years, and to involve Turkey in European defense programs.
If we want to address the current challenges, we must cancel defense industrial trade restrictions and equally share the burden in a balanced and fair manner. He added that Turkey has fulfilled its obligations in achieving NATO defense expenditure targets.
Erdogan remarked with some criticism: "However, despite our contributions, in certain situations, the indispensable value that Turkey brings to European security has been overlooked. As a country with a voice in the construction of the European pillar of this alliance, we are willing to participate in all defense and security initiatives on the European continent."
According to Reuters, Turkey has long been dissatisfied with the defense industrial trade restrictions or embargoes imposed by the United States and Europe. These restrictions stem from regional policy differences and the relationship between Turkey and Russia. Turkey argues that these measures undermine the spirit of NATO's alliance and hinder development.
