Ankara NATO summit to showcase Türkiye’s growing alliance role

Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said on Wednesday that the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara will demonstrate Türkiye’s growing influence within the alliance and its role as a key actor in regional and global security. Speaking to Ankara representatives of newspapers and television channels ahead of the summit, Duran noted that security challenges today extend beyond conventional threats to include cyberattacks, critical infrastructure, energy security, disinformation, and supply chains. He added that Ankara’s position within NATO has evolved significantly since joining in 1952.

From periphery to centre

“Türkiye has moved from the periphery to the centre of NATO,” Duran said. “It is no longer only a country protecting NATO’s borders but a central ally on almost every issue concerning the alliance.” He described Türkiye as a country that seeks to reduce tensions and create space for diplomacy during crises, while maintaining strong deterrence capabilities. “Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye has become an effective global actor that takes initiative in resolving crises, facilitates diplomacy and contributes to regional and global peace,” Duran said.

Summit agenda and defence industry

Duran said burden‑sharing would be among the main agenda items, noting that Türkiye aims to reach NATO’s defence spending target of 3.5% plus 1.5% by the end of 2030. A Defence Industry Forum will be included in the summit’s official programme for the first time, and a NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative foreign ministers meeting will be held on the sidelines. Duran emphasised that the summit is “not merely a hosting matter” but “a diplomatic stage demonstrating Türkiye’s rising weight within NATO.” The summit will showcase Türkiye’s defence industry, which he described as a strategic force multiplier for both national security and NATO’s deterrence capacity.