Turkish Defense Minister: We actively contribute to NATO's missions, operations, and exercises
Istanbul, July 7 (KUNA) -- Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said on Tuesday that his country is actively contributing to NATO missions, operations, and exercises, from Kosovo to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Baltic region to the Black Sea. This statement came during Guler’s participation in the “Allies in Ankara” program, organized on the sidelines of the NATO summit in collaboration with the Communication Department of the Turkish Presidency, the Munich Security Conference, and the Center for Social and Political Research (SETA).
Guler emphasized that “Turkey is an ally that shares NATO’s burdens, assumes responsibility on the ground, takes defense investments seriously, and invests in future capabilities.” He added that since its founding, NATO has been more than just a military alliance; it represents an institutional framework for collective defense, political solidarity, and the transatlantic bond.
He pointed out that the primary challenge at this stage lies in re-establishing reliable collective defense while maintaining the Alliance’s ability to manage crises and address threats from all directions. Guler stressed that burden-sharing within the Alliance must take into account the scale of operational risks, geographic position, readiness levels, contributions to missions, industrial capacity, and the ability to execute missions during crises.
Regarding defense spending, Guler stated, “Spending alone does not create deterrence, because deterrence requires trained personnel, ready forces, ammunition, strong logistics, cyber resilience, industrial capacity, and political will.” He noted that “NATO’s future will not be determined by spending percentages alone, but by the speed with which these budgets are converted into real capabilities.”
Guler highlighted that Turkey has reached an “advanced level” in defense industries, aircraft, unmanned systems, air defense, electronic warfare, ammunition, naval platforms, aviation, and command and control technologies.
On European security, the Turkish minister said, “We welcome a stronger European contribution to defense, but this contribution should not compete with NATO; rather, it should reinforce it.” He added that “European security initiatives should be open to all NATO allies who are not members of the European Union but possess relevant capabilities,” emphasizing that cooperation between the Alliance and the European Union must be “comprehensive and complementary,” mutually strengthening both parties.
Turkey is hosting the NATO summit on Tuesday and Wednesday, marking the second time in its history, 22 years after it hosted the Istanbul Summit in 2004. (End)
