NATO’s summit to be held in the Turkish capital Ankara on July 7 and 8 will focus on implementing previously agreed on decisions and delivering tangible results, the NATO Deputy Secretary General has stated.
According to Radmila Shekerinska, the Ankara summit would build on commitments made at the Hague Summit, where all allies agreed to increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035.
“The Ankara summit will be implementation-focused and results-oriented,” Shekerinska said, stressing the importance of monitoring the defense spending pledge.
"In Ankara, we will maintain this focus by hosting an industry day dedicated to exploring ways to support the industrial sector," she stated. "We will discuss how to better utilize existing resources and enhance efficiency, while striving to avoid additional costs wherever possible."
Shekerinska emphasized the need for deeper cooperation among allies, calling for increased joint procurement, stronger industrial collaboration and more innovative approaches to capability development.
The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will mark the country’s second major gathering of its kind after Istanbul in 2004.
One of the central venues is expected to be the Crescent and Star Joint Headquarters, a major defense complex currently under construction in the Etimesgut district of Ankara.
The facility is designed to house the Defense Ministry, the General Staff, the Turkish Land, Naval and Air Forces commands and a joint operations center.
Etimesgut Airport, which has historically functioned as a military airfield, will be opened for civilian use in connection with the summit.
Special logistical arrangements are being made for visiting leaders’ aircraft, including runway renovations and the relocation of VIP facilities to accommodate high-level arrivals.
Ankara authorities are also coordinating extensive security measures across the city.
