President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday stressed the need to reinforce unity among NATO allies ahead of an upcoming leaders’ summit in Ankara during talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, according to a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate.

During their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdoğan said growing instability in the region underscores the importance of solidarity and cooperation within the alliance, expressing expectations that the summit will yield decisions strengthening collective resilience and preparedness against crises.

The talks focused on preparations for the NATO leaders’ summit to be hosted in Ankara, as well as key alliance issues and regional and global developments.

Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s expanding defense industry capacity, particularly in air defense systems, and reiterated Ankara’s aim to deepen cooperation with allied countries in the field.

He also stressed the importance of preserving trans-Atlantic ties, while calling for a stronger role for NATO’s European pillar. Erdoğan said excluding non-European Union NATO members from the bloc’s defense initiatives would not serve the alliance’s broader objectives.

Touching on regional tensions, Erdoğan said Türkiye has positioned itself on the side of peace and diplomacy following recent developments involving Iran.

He added that Ankara continues efforts to help end the Russia-Ukraine war through negotiations, working to revive talks and facilitate leader-level engagement.

Both Erdoğan and Rutte held comprehensive discussions on preparations for the Ankara summit.