NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Secretary General Benedetta Berti stated that Türkiye is one of the strong allies of the Alliance thanks to its resources allocated to defense, its current military capabilities, and its contributions to NATO operations. Berti also underlined that Turkish parliamentarians play a highly active role in the Assembly's work.
Berti made the assessments ahead of the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8, and the NATO Parliamentary Summit to be held in Istanbul on June 28-29.
Security environment at 'most complex and dangerous' level
Pointing out that NATO is at a very important stage in its development, Berti said on the security situation: "As stated in the last NATO Strategic Concept adopted by the Allies in 2022, we face the most complex and dangerous security environment since the end of the Cold War."
Stating that they face constant hybrid threats, from the war in Ukraine to sabotage, from cutting submarine cables to destabilization campaigns, Berti emphasized that instability prevails in a geography stretching from the Middle East to the Alliance's eastern neighborhood.
Berti stated that NATO's current position is stronger than at any time since the end of the Cold War, saying, "We have new defense plans. European allies and Canada have invested an additional $1 trillion in defense since 2017. So the data shows we are getting stronger, but we must also acknowledge that the security environment is extremely unstable and volatile."
Türkiye strong ally in three key criteria
Benedetta Berti pointed to Türkiye's importance in this security environment: "Türkiye has been a NATO ally since 1952, for more than 70 years. It is therefore one of the founding members of the Alliance. As NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recalled during his visit to Türkiye, Türkiye spends more than 2 percent of its GDP on defense and has an incredible defense potential."
Stating that the Turkish army is equipped with the latest technologies, Berti said that financial resources and capacity are of great importance for NATO. Berti said, "Türkiye contributes significantly to many NATO missions and operations, from the Western Balkans to the fight against terrorism within the scope of the NATO mission in Iraq, to strengthening deterrence capacity and defense capability. In NATO, we focus on three basic criteria: resources, capacity, and contribution. In all three areas, it is clearly seen that Türkiye is a strong ally."
Critical summit hosted by Turkish Grand National Assembly
Referring to inter-parliamentary cooperation, Berti stated that there is a very strong Turkish parliamentary delegation in the Assembly. Emphasizing that Turkish deputies actively participate in the work, Berti said, "We are going to Istanbul in a few days. With the support of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), we will hold a summit where the heads of parliament of all NATO member countries will come together. This is an indication of how active a role Türkiye plays in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly."
Stating that his main expectation from the Ankara Summit is the transition to "implementation," Berti said that the first test of the historic decision taken last year by the allies to increase defense and security spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 will be whether countries will increase their defense budgets each year.
Berti stated that the first sign of success in Ankara will be demonstrating that more resources continue to be allocated to defense. Emphasizing that the second test is not just increasing spending but converting these resources into concrete and fully-fledged military capabilities, Berti noted that the summit will also discuss how to further strengthen the defense industrial infrastructure across the transatlantic alliance.
Stating that he believes the summit to be held in Türkiye, which has a strong defense industry ecosystem, will also be an important signal in this respect, Berti added that the summit will also show that support for Ukraine continues. Emphasizing that every NATO summit is also a platform where transatlantic unity and solidarity are displayed, Berti stated that this issue will also be high on the agenda.
Parliaments implement decisions
Stating that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which has served as a bridge between NATO and the parliaments of member countries for 71 years, is a completely special structure, Berti explained that although it is institutionally separate from NATO, it was established to connect the decisions taken in NATO with citizens through parliaments.
Emphasizing that the transatlantic alliance needs strong ties not only between governments but also at the political level and among peoples to remain strong, Berti said that the NATO Assembly undertakes this task. Stating that the Assembly, which includes 281 deputies from 32 allied countries, represents the entire political spectrum of their countries, Berti said, "They come together, reach consensus, strengthen transatlantic ties, and discuss security and defense issues. This is even more important today as we are going through a historic period for NATO."
Emphasizing that decisions are taken at summits but implemented in parliaments, Berti said that parliaments are the institutions that approve budgets ensuring continued defense spending, change procurement legislation to procure defense capabilities faster, and pass laws to support the defense industry. Berti noted that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly plays a very important role in this process.
Stating that he observes that all NATO PA deputies are aware of the importance of increasing defense investments, Berti conveyed that they believe especially European allies, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom, Türkiye, and Norway, need to develop their capacities to form more balanced transatlantic relations. Berti emphasized the need for an open, honest, and sincere dialogue with citizens, adding that it is necessary to explain to the public why increasing defense investments is necessary and to explain the threats faced.
