Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte made important statements in Washington ahead of the summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8. Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Rutte announced that new defense contracts worth tens of billions of dollars would be unveiled during the summit.
Rutte said the summit, which will also be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, will reaffirm the alliance's commitment to supporting Ukraine. He stressed that the Ankara summit will demonstrate Nato's deterrence, unity and defense capabilities.
Noting that defense investments increased by about 20 percent in 2025, Rutte said, "This transformation would have been unimaginable ten years ago." He said his biggest expectation from the summit is a historic transformation in defense investments.
Defense industry day in Ankara
Rutte said innovative technologies and defense industries will be highlighted at the Ankara summit. He recalled visiting Turkey in the spring and meeting young engineers at Aselsan, a company specializing in military electronics.
He said the defense industry cooperation stretching from Arlington, home to major U.S. defense and military institutions, to Ankara will enhance security and create hundreds of thousands of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
Rutte said, "Strengthening defense industries must be done with a transatlantic understanding, and we must recognize that this industrial base extends from California to Turkey." Noting that Turkey has about 3,000 defense industry companies operating within the alliance, Rutte added that a major defense industry day will be held as part of the Ankara summit.