World leaders gathering in Ankara... Big event. Recognition of Turkey's importance and effectiveness in global issues... Big event. Being viewed as the key country for regional stability in the Middle East – a ring of fire... Big event. For the second time since 2004, a NATO summit is taking place in Turkey... And for the first time in Ankara, such a magnificent hosting... Big event. Let's rejoice... Let's praise... Let's be proud.
And let's not make it a subject of party politics and daily sterile debates.
Defense Industry
Mark Rutte... NATO Secretary General... His pre-summit remarks are very important: Turkey is an extremely important country for NATO. It has one of the strongest armies in NATO. The Turkish Armed Forces are highly equipped and well-trained. And...
It is also a significant advantage that it has a massive defense industry infrastructure consisting of about 3,000 companies. Mark Rutte was in Ankara in April. He visited ASELSAN. If only... he could have also toured TUSAŞ... ROKETSAN... BAYKAR... HAVELSAN... FNSS... Not to mention... we have other defense industry institutions and organizations.
Did You Know?
Turkish defense and aerospace industry products are exported to 178 countries around the world... Did you know? In the last year, export revenue of defense industry products reached 10.9 billion dollars. And one detail. In the last year... The increase in sales is 47.1 percent. However, most sales are to NATO countries. Turkey... is no longer a supplier in the global defense industry...
It is in a position of a leading actor that develops technology and establishes joint production models.
Glorious Army
Mustafa Kemal's soldiers... The Turkish Armed Forces... With 884,000 personnel, it is today the fourth largest military force in NATO. USA... France... Britain... And great Turkey. Here is the glorious army that inspires trust in friends and fear in enemies.
Lifeline for the Economy
Hotels in Ankara are full... 100 percent... Occupancy started even before the summit.
Leaders of 32 NATO member countries... Also, leaders specially invited by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Ministers... Senior diplomats... Representatives of international organizations... Members of the media... More than 3,000. Security teams... Support staff. In short... an increase of over 10,000 foreign population in Ankara, even if only for a few days. Great vitality for Ankara's economy... It would be fitting to call it a 'lifeline'.
Hotels... Restaurants... Transportation... Logistics... Daily shopping... Souvenirs. Ah! If only such large organizations could be held in other Turkish cities as well.
Distinguished Guests
The President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, hosted his distinguished guests. Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler. US Deputy Secretary of Defense. Representatives of Turkish and American defense industry companies.
I spoke with Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu. He talked about the strength of our defense industry... how NATO member and non-member countries are impressed by this strength and the cooperation proposals. And today... he said that a larger meeting will take place. At ATO Congresium... at the Congress and Exhibition Center. Participants... Top executives of defense industry companies from NATO countries. Of course, our own as well.
Publicity Explosion
Istanbul... In 2023, it was chosen as the world's most popular city... by BBC Travel. According to data published by Euromonitor International, it is one of the five most visited and most popular cities in the world. What about Ankara? The same recognition, the same visits, the same popularity is nowhere to be found. TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, 'We achieved a publicity explosion.' - Promotion of Turkey... Promotion of Ankara...
Even if we had spent billions, we could not have achieved such publicity... Its effect will be better understood over time.
Beyond the Summit
The Ankara summit is far beyond just a NATO meeting... a leaders' gathering. For Turkey, too, it is far beyond diplomatic hosting. How will NATO transform into an alliance in the changing world order? How will Europe's security be reshaped?
What role will Turkey, the key country of the Middle East, assume in this new world order... the new security architecture? It is for these reasons that... the Ankara summit carries meanings beyond a summit.
A Page from Deep History
The white revolution... the elections of May 14, 1950... the end of the Republican People's Party's 27-year rule. And the Democratic Party coming to power.
İsmet İnönü, whose presidency had ended, left the Çankaya Mansion and retreated to his home... the Pink Mansion. Celal Bayar... Now the President... the new occupant of the Çankaya Mansion. No handover ceremony was held for this important change of office. In the early days of his presidency, Bayar asks for an appointment with İnönü... He visits him at the Pink Mansion. A face-to-face meeting. Celal Bayar asks: - My Pasha...
There are such important matters that are not even found in the state's most secret archives... Information of vital importance for the state... Is there anything you need to tell me about this? - There is, Celal Bey. And... the two important figures of the War of Independence... İsmet İnönü and Celal Bayar talk at length. At the end of the conversation, Celal Bayar says, 'My Pasha': - I have one more question... Why didn't you join NATO? - They wouldn't let us, Celal Bey...
If they had, wouldn't we have joined? A few days pass. This time, İsmet İnönü visits President Celal Bayar at the Çankaya Mansion... to convey his congratulations. These things were told to me by Süleyman Demirel. Turkey... officially became a NATO member on February 18, 1952. And today... Turkey is one of the strongest countries in NATO.
