Türkiye once again hosted a NATO summit after a 22-year hiatus. The growing perception of threats in neighboring regions, and particularly in Europe due to the Russia-Ukraine war, has heightened the summit’s significance. Statements made by heads of state and government during the summit indicate that it will yield the most "concrete outcomes and decisions” in recent years. In this context, the fact that NATO's future vision is being shaped in Türkiye is of particular importance. Türkiye’s central position within NATO, as well as its capabilities in the defense and aerospace sectors, makes its role at the Ankara summit particularly noteworthy from the alliance’s perspective.

Undoubtedly, the Turkish defense industry and the utilization of its production capabilities lie at the heart of the alliance's strategic decision-making processes. In this context, a "Defense Industry Forum” was held as part of the summit, addressing potential areas for enhancing interoperability among alliance partners and building a sustainable ecosystem.

Hosted by Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) Secretary Haluk Görgün, a reception was held at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as part of the forum, where the capabilities of the Turkish defense industry were showcased to participating delegations through both flight demonstrations and an exhibition in the static display area.

Türkiye as model country

International summits are crucial for heads of state and government, as well as high-level decision-makers, in terms of future objectives. The signing of cooperation and procurement agreements is also of particular importance. Agreements totaling nearly $100 billion were signed for various purposes, ranging from the formation of multinational elements to joint development activities and procurement. Furthermore, as part of the reception, the SSB’s taking the visiting delegations directly to a massive production and research and development (R&D) center such as the TAI was one of the most effective tools of defense diplomacy. Delegates were shown the capabilities of the Turkish defense industry not "from a catalog” but directly at the production facility and through live flight demonstrations. This created a unique platform for increasing defense exports and establishing new strategic partnerships.

The projects Türkiye has implemented in its defense and aerospace industries have evolved into significant capabilities today. A localization rate approaching 85%, combined with high-tech solutions that have proven themselves on the battlefield, is attracting NATO's interest. The planned state policy in question, implemented since the early 2000s under the vision of the "National Technology Initiative,” is drawing increased attention to the outcomes of "transformation in a quarter-century.” Türkiye’s capabilities, which have reached a level at which thousands of companies and tens of thousands of projects can be managed simultaneously under the coordination of the SSB, are naturally the focus of attention. Alliance partners, meanwhile, could identify both existing collaborations and potential future areas of activity firsthand and on-site on the sidelines of the summit.

Technological independence

At the reception held at the TAI facilities, delegations were greeted by armored vehicles on display in the static exhibition area, including an Altay tank, an Arma 8x8 wheeled armored combat vehicle, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation's (MKE) Tolga air defense solution and Roketsan’s ballistic missiles. In addition to these, aerial demonstrations were conducted to showcase the current state of the aviation sector.

The Turkish defense industry showcased the capabilities of numerous platforms it has developed and produced, including the Gökbey general-purpose helicopter, the T129 Atak attack helicopter, the Hürkuş basic training aircraft, the Hürjet advanced jet trainer, the Anka III strategic bomber, and the Anka-S and Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Opening the doors of these facilities to foreign delegations demonstrates not only the systems being produced but also the construction of an entire ecosystem, from design to testing and qualification. This transparency ensures that Türkiye’s technological capabilities are vividly observed and validated within the framework of the Ankara summit.

Türkiye’s production of systems that are fully compliant with NATO standards (STANAG) and have "proven themselves on the battlefield” is the clearest indication of strategic compatibility within the alliance. This, in turn, enables Türkiye to export significant quantities of defense systems to its alliance partners.

According to 2025 data, 56% of Türkiye’s $10.56 billion in exports went directly to the European Union, NATO members and the United States. These figures are, in fact, a testament to the quality and reliability of Turkish defense industry products, which meet Western standards. Furthermore, interest in products that have proven themselves on the battlefield is on the rise. This reinforces the desire to implement "joint projects,” as seen during Belgium’s recent high-level visit to Türkiye. This is also the underlying rationale behind the approach taken by a Belgian company developing weapon turrets toward the Turkish defense industry land vehicle manufacturers by offering to integrate their turrets into Turkish armored vehicles and sell them together. On the other hand, the standards in question were also crucial when Spain purchased Hürjet aircraft from Türkiye, or when Portugal sought to procure warships from Turkish defense firm STM for its navy.

Furthermore, production capabilities and infrastructure have become even more critical to prevent crises caused by the rapid depletion of ammunition stocks in military arsenals, stemming from both the Ukraine-Russia war and the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. Türkiye’s established capabilities, both in serial production infrastructure and in setting up production lines, are significant for the alliance. The U.S. bidding for a contract with a Turkish firm for the production of 155 mm artillery ammunition is a clear indication of this. Similarly, MKE’s agreements with various countries to establish production lines for small-caliber expendable ammunition further confirm this.

Core country for NATO

In the field of unmanned systems, platforms such as Türkiye's first unmanned combat aircraft, Bayraktar Kızılelma, combat drone Bayraktar Akıncı, Anka-III and TB3 are expected to assume more significant roles within the alliance in the future. The fact that all of these represent "game-changing” solutions in their respective fields is driving this process. Italy’s desire for joint production of the TB3 and the United Kingdom’s interest in the ANKA-III are examples of this. Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have been added to the inventories of NATO allies such as Poland and Romania, are becoming key elements in strengthening the alliance’s defensive shield on its eastern flank.

Moreover, in the land vehicle sector, armored platforms produced by companies such as Nurol Makina, Otokar and FNSS are preferred by many NATO allies. Amid ammunition supply crises in Europe, Türkiye’s growing production capacity for artillery ammunition and smart munitions is emerging as a key link in the alliance’s supply chain during potential crises.

In short, the Ankara summit represented more than a platform for delivering political messages; it marked a critical turning point in which barriers to defense industry cooperation among allies were addressed.

It was clearly emphasized at this summit that any form of export restrictions or covert embargoes imposed by allies against one another under the NATO umbrella ultimately weakens the alliance’s own collective deterrence. It is abundantly clear that Türkiye’s high-tech production capacity is not a competitive factor to be excluded or restricted among allies. Türkiye’s position should be viewed as that of a "regional production hub” that will optimize NATO's overall capabilities and reduce logistical costs.

At the Ankara summit, Türkiye once again demonstrated, after a quarter-century of arduous struggle, that it is not merely a "peripheral country” within NATO, but a "core country” that develops and exports advanced technologies and shapes doctrine.