NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged allies to turn higher defense spending into concrete military capabilities as leaders prepare to gather in Ankara for the alliance’s 2026 summit.
“Allies must translate economic means into military capabilities,” Rutte said at a pre-summit news conference on Monday, calling for more investment in missiles, interceptors and defense production.
Rutte thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his team for hosting allied leaders, describing the summit venue as “fantastic.”
He also said Türkiye remained important to NATO’s future security strategy, pointing to its geography and role within the alliance.
NATO heads of state and government will meet in Ankara on July 7-8 for the 36th summit of the alliance, hosted by Türkiye.
The summit is expected to focus on implementing defense spending commitments agreed at last year’s meeting, sustaining military support for Ukraine and expanding defense industrial production.
The meeting comes as allies debate burden-sharing and the future of transatlantic security, while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to take part in summit events.
