Türkiye opens a key NATO summit on July 7, aiming to cement its role as a rising European security partner as it leverages rapid growth in its defense industry and expanding global military ties.
The two-day gathering in Ankara begins with a defense forum that has evolved from a sideline event into a formal part of the summit program.
NATO chief Mark Rutte officially launched the summit on July 6 with a press conference, setting the stage for meetings focused on defense production, regional security and alliance cohesion.
“It is inconceivable to establish European security without Türkiye,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, pushing for deeper integration of the country into European defense structures, including the European Union’s 150-billion-euro ($176 billion) SAFE program.
Türkiye fields NATO’s second-largest military after the United States with about 355,000 active troops and 378,000 reservists. It has seen its defense sector expand sharply over the past decade, becoming a central pillar of its foreign policy ambitions.
Officials say Türkiye’s defense industry now ranks 11th globally, accounting for 1.8 percent of the world arms market, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Defense exports rose 48 percent in 2025, accelerating from 29 percent growth the previous year.
“We now achieve in one week what we used to achieve in one year,” Erdoğan said last month, pointing to exports of drones, armored vehicles, tanks and naval vessels, including a warship delivered to Romania — the first such export to an EU and NATO member state.
But despite the sector’s rise, Türkiye’s ambition to move from supplier to strategic defense partner has faced resistance from allies wary of its long-term reliability and past political friction.
Tensions with NATO partners escalated after Türkiye’s military operations in Syria and Libya in 2015 and were further strained by disputes with Greece and Greek Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. Relations have since entered what officials describe as a “detoxification” phase, helped in part by Ankara’s support for Kiev following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, Russia’s S-400 missile system remains a major sticking point with Washington, limiting deeper defense cooperation and complicating Türkiye’s access to some advanced Western technologies.
Under the SAFE program, companies from non-EU countries such as Türkiye can supply up to 35 percent of the component value of funded defense projects. To expand that share, Ankara would need a formal security partnership with the EU and unanimous approval from all 27 member states for special access arrangements.
Within Europe, Türkiye has deepened defense ties with several countries, including Spain, Romania, Poland and Italy. Italian defense firm Leonardo has partnered with Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, which also acquired Piaggio Aerospace over the past 18 months, signaling closer industrial cooperation.
Beyond the European Union, Britain has also engaged with Türkiye on its Kaan program, aimed at developing a fifth-generation stealth fighter.
Ankara is now hoping that U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance at next week’s NATO gathering could unlock stalled deliveries of American jet engines critical to the Kaan project.
Later in the day, NATO foreign ministers are scheduled to meet counterparts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates under the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. Defense ministers from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are also expected at a reception at a newly built military complex.
A separate evening reception and dinner hosted by Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan will bring together leaders and their spouses, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky among the invitees.
On July 8, Erdoğan and Rutte will jointly welcome allied leaders in a formal ceremony, followed by a family photo. The summit will conclude with a final press conference by the NATO chief.
