Ahead of this week’s NATO Summit in Ankara, IKV Chairperson Dr. Ayhan Zeytinoğlu issued a statement highlighting the changing security environment in Europe, the growing importance of the defence industry, and Türkiye’s strategic role. Dr. Zeytinoğlu stated:

“After a 22-year interval, the NATO Summit is once again being hosted by Türkiye. The previous summit was held in Istanbul in 2004, while this year Ankara has been chosen. I believe the presence of Türkiye’s major defence companies and production facilities in Ankara also played a role in this decision. The Defence Industry Forum on 7 July is equally significant, as it will bring together industry leaders with NATO officials and decision-makers. With discussions focusing on NATO 3.0, the Ankara Summit also confirms Türkiye’s central position in European security. In a NATO where the United States is expected to assume a smaller share of the burden, Türkiye’s military capabilities, operational experience, and defence industrial capacity will become even more prominent.

One of NATO’s key priorities is the strengthening of the European pillar of the Alliance. Rather than creating a fully independent EU defence policy, the emphasis is on reinforcing Europe’s role within NATO and ensuring that European allies assume a greater share of the responsibilities traditionally carried by the United States. Equally important is how increased defence spending will be allocated. At last year’s Hague Summit, Allies agreed to raise defence expenditure to 5% of GDP. This year’s discussions will focus on ensuring that these resources are directed towards strengthening defence capabilities.

As NATO modernises, attention is shifting beyond conventional military capabilities to next-generation weapons systems, hybrid threats, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and space technologies. Effective burden-sharing and division of responsibilities are becoming increasingly important. Building and employing collective military capabilities, however, depends on mutual trust, which has recently been undermined by developments such as the conflict involving Iran and the debate surrounding President Trump’s remarks on Greenland. In this regard, the Ankara Summit is also critical for rebuilding confidence among Allies.

NATO Summit and Türkiye-EU Relations: Towards a New Roadmap

While the EU is creating new financial instruments such as SAFE to strengthen Europe’s defence industry, it is also seeking to protect European manufacturing against increasing global competition through ‘Made in Europe’ requirements. At this critical juncture, Türkiye’s strategic role has become more important than ever.

Despite Türkiye’s extensive defence cooperation with Member States, particularly Italy and France, through joint ventures and procurement agreements, its exclusion from the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund illustrates the inconsistency in the EU’s approach towards Türkiye. At the same time, Türkiye-EU relations are entering a new phase in which their strategic importance is increasing. Rising security threats and the United States’ insistence that European countries assume greater responsibility within NATO have further highlighted Türkiye’s indispensable role in European security.

Türkiye’s defence industry now produces unmanned aerial vehicles, air defence systems, naval platforms, land vehicles, and engine technologies. Defence exports reached 10.9 billion dollars in 2025, with 57% of exports—amounting to 6.2 billion dollars—going to NATO member countries. Last March, the European Commission published the draft Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act, which incorporates the ‘Made in Europe’ criterion aimed at strengthening Europe’s industrial capacity.

Thanks to the efforts of Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade, the Directorate for EU Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the support of the business community, products originating from Customs Union partner countries are also expected to be treated as falling within the scope of ‘Made in Europe’ under the current draft.

Nevertheless, for products in strategic sectors such as automotive and clean energy to qualify under ‘Made in Europe’ in EU public procurement, reciprocal access to public procurement markets is expected. It is therefore encouraging that the legislative package recently submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye includes provisions concerning public procurement. The proposed legislation would authorise the President to introduce preferential arrangements for EU countries on the basis of reciprocity, allowing certain advantages to be granted to EU companies and EU-origin products in Türkiye under specific circumstances.

In conclusion, Europe is entering a period in which the defence industry has become a central element of security policy and an increasingly important field of competition. Industrial policy has returned to the forefront, emphasising resilience, competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and innovation-based protection. Within this framework, security, supply chains, connectivity, and industrial cooperation are becoming defining themes in the evolving relationship between Türkiye and the EU. Closer alignment with EU norms, standards, and legislation also requires renewed momentum for Türkiye’s EU reform agenda.”