President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thanked the host citizens of Ankara, stating that the 36th NATO Summit in Ankara was successfully completed. In a post on his social media account, Erdoğan noted that the summit demonstrated Turkey's role in global security.
Erdoğan also thanked NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and emphasized his contributions to the preparation and execution of the summit. He stated that the NATO 3.0 vision adopted at the summit aims to strengthen Europe's defense capacity and prepare the alliance for a new era.
Emphasis on Turkey's Strategic Position
Stating that Turkey is one of NATO's most powerful actors with its military capability, strategic position, diplomatic experience, and defense industry capacity, Erdoğan said, "Turkey is not only the host country but a key ally that directly contributes to the alliance's defense, diplomacy, and crisis resolution capacity."
Regional Diplomacy Efforts
In his post, Erdoğan said that communication channels are kept open for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, that diplomacy and permanent peace are advocated in the Iran-US process, and that the approach of ceasefire, stability and multilateral cooperation is maintained on the Gaza, Lebanon and Libya issues.
New Agreements and Cooperations
Erdoğan noted that a Security and Defense Partnership Agreement was signed with the United Kingdom and negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement were initiated with Canada within the scope of the summit, and said these steps deepen cooperation within the alliance.
Defense Industry Expectations with the US
Erdoğan expressed his belief that the constructive and productive meeting with US President Donald Trump will lead to concrete results in the defense industry, particularly in the KAAN and F-35 program, in line with Turkey's expectations.
