Turkey says NATO adjusting to security landscape, insists US not withdrawing
Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara that the alliance is not in crisis, but adapting to a changing security environment
NATO is adjusting to a shifting security landscape, and the United States is not seeking to leave the alliance, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara next week. Turkey will host 32 NATO leaders, along with officials from the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region, on July 7-8, amid tensions within the alliance over burden-sharing, defense spending, and US complaints about allies' lack of involvement in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
"NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defense. We evaluate the period we are going through not as a crisis, but as a process of adjusting to the changing security environment," Guler said in written responses to Reuters. He said the summit would focus on evaluating allies' increased defense spending, bolstering defense industry cooperation, increasing support for Ukraine, and reinforcing bloc unity.
Guler said the US wants European allies and Canada to assume more responsibility for the security of Europe. He said existing European defense initiatives, while positive, lack inclusivity, arguing that Turkey should be included in Europe's defense plans and initiatives going forward.
On Turkey's own military capabilities, Guler said the country aims to meet all NATO capability targets by 2029. He said Turkey is "evaluating all options" to bolster its air defenses, including the potential purchase of SAMP-T and Patriot missile systems, as Ankara looks to strengthen its own defense posture alongside its push for a greater role within the alliance.