Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said Friday Türkiye is an important ally for NATO and Europe should benefit from Turkish technology in defense production.

Francken's remarks come ahead of what many expect to be a historic NATO summit in Türkiye next week.

"I think it will be a very important summit," Francken told Anadolu Agency (AA).

At the gathering in Ankara next Tuesday and Wednesday, Europeans aim to set aside strife with U.S. President Donald Trump over Iran and Greenland and show they are stepping up to defend the continent as ⁠Washington cuts back on its commitments to the alliance.

Arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars are expected to be signed during the summit.

Francken said NATO has faced difficult times recently, and therefore, unity is needed more than ever.

"There was discussion about the Middle East, about the war against the Iranian regime, we had some tensions on opening the military bases for American aircraft, we had some discussions about stepping up on defense spending," Francken said. "So, yeah, of course, it was not the easiest year for NATO."

He stressed the need to work together on defense investment, the NATO Force Model, increasing production, air defense and new technologies. "United we stand, divided we fall and I think that is the most important: show unity," he said.

In The Hague last year, NATO leaders agreed to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defense items such as weapons and troops by 2035, up from a previous goal of 2%. They also agreed to invest a further 1.5% of GDP on broader defense-related investments such as boosting cybersecurity.

Francken also noted the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum that is planned to be organized on the sidelines of the Ankara summit.

Among the priorities that should be stressed during the gathering, he cited technology, air defense and higher industrial production, as well as support for Ukraine.

'NATO 3.0' vision

About the "NATO 3.0" vision expected to take shape at the Ankara meeting, Francken said it means Belgium and European allies must assume more responsibility.

"It means that Belgium and European allies need to step up, invest highly in defense and be there to take the security architecture of the European continent into our own hands," he said.

"That is actually the challenge, and that's what we need to do," he added.

The past 12 months ⁠have severely strained the alliance, with Trump threatening to take Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark and then waging a war against Iran that roiled the global economy without consulting European allies.

The U.S. has also announced troop withdrawals from Europe, cut the forces it assigns to NATO's defense plans – including an aircraft carrier, refuelling aircraft, ​fighter jets and drones – and launched a six-month review of its military presence on the continent.

On the possibility of the U.S. reducing its military contribution in Europe and Europe filling the gaps, Francken said NATO needs strong planning.

"What we need to do is have good planning, NATO planning. The SACEUR, Supreme Allied Commander, is doing this," he said. "It's important that we really get that going, have good plans and follow those plans."

Francken said this means meeting targets and filling all capability gaps, because U.S. troops and capabilities will be withdrawn from Europe as Washington pivots toward Asia and the Pacific.

"That means that we have to step up and fulfil our challenges, fill those gaps and that's what we need to do," he said.

Regarding Belgium's plans, Francken said his country would allocate air-to-air refueling aircraft, F-16 fighter jets, MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities under the NATO Force Model.

"We are immediately ready to deploy more for NATO from the Belgian defense," he said.

'Can learn a lot' from Türkiye's tech

Francken also addressed the contributions of Türkiye to NATO.

"Türkiye is a very important ally. It's a long-standing ally. It's a country that is very important within NATO," he said. "So, yes, we need Türkiye within NATO, and I hope that we can work very well together."

Francken also stressed that Türkiye should be included in Europe's defense programs aimed at strengthening its military ​as it steps up efforts to boost ⁠security amid heightened geopolitical risks.

"For me, Türkiye needs to be in SAFE-II," he said, referring to the EU's defense financing mechanism. "I think that it's necessary to have a SAFE-II package on loans, European loans, and I think Türkiye needs to be in. The fact that Türkiye was not in SAFE-I, it is a mistake," he said.

"We can learn a lot from your technology," he added.

Noting that Belgium cooperates with Türkiye in many fields, Francken said the two countries carry out many training activities together under the NATO umbrella.

"I think that we can also look to do procurement together, industrial cooperation together," he said.

The Belgian defense chief also spoke about his country's extensive economic mission to Türkiye last month, saying cooperation continues and new contracts are still being signed.

"We had our economic mission to Türkiye, and now, still, there are contracts coming out," he said. "So, even months after, you see that the economic mission gives really good results. So, that's something positive, and we go with that flow; we continue."