Türkiye has always been a top contributor to NATO, but the alliance’s fate was often shaped by other members. This changed in the past few decades as Türkiye’s leverage in the bloc grew under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This week, Türkiye will likely get what it wants from the alliance as it brings together heads of state and government for what pundits call the "most important summit” of the alliance.

This week’s summit will be an opportunity for Türkiye to showcase its flourishing defense industry and seek more collaboration in this field with NATO members. It will also be an opportunity for Türkiye to enhance cooperation with EU states, most of whom are also NATO members, in bolstering the defenses of the continent.

Türkiye brought many of the challenges NATO faces today onto the Alliance’s agenda over the past five years, achieving concrete outcomes despite criticism from some member states. By insisting that Sweden and Finland take meaningful steps in combating terrorism before approving their NATO membership, Türkiye initially withheld its consent. Once the two countries implemented tangible measures in this area, Türkiye lifted its objections.

Although some allies opposed Türkiye’s stance at the time, Ankara succeeded in incorporating its priority issues into NATO summit declarations, securing what it viewed as a diplomatic victory. In hindsight, this also served as an early warning regarding the challenges that NATO members are confronting today.

Over the past five years, Ankara consistently emphasized at NATO summits that allies should not impose sanctions or defense industry restrictions on one another. While many allies, particularly in Europe, did not initially recognize the significance of this issue, developments and messages from the United States have since made defense industrial cooperation one of NATO’s foremost priorities. Türkiye also became one of the most closely watched countries at NATO summits due to its diplomatic efforts, public messaging, and mediation role aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Despite maintaining close relations with many allies, President Erdoğan consistently raised the issue of what he described as Israel’s atrocities at NATO summits, just as he has at other international forums. As a result, various actors, particularly pro-Israel lobbying groups, campaigned for Türkiye’s exclusion from NATO. However, Türkiye ultimately secured the right to host the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, presenting this as its response to those opposing its role.

2021 summit

The 2021 Brussels Summit marked the first face-to-face meeting between then-U.S. President Joe Biden and President Erdoğan, with an extensive agenda covering both regional and bilateral issues. Alongside developments in Syria, Afghanistan, and Libya, the leaders also discussed bilateral relations. This was the last NATO summit before the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine War. Despite rising tensions, dialogue remained the preferred approach. As Türkiye’s influence within NATO continued to grow, Ankara conveyed the message that "while protecting our own borders, we are also protecting NATO’s borders." Today, NATO leaders frequently emphasize this point when discussing Türkiye.

2022 summit

Following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Sweden and Finland formally applied for NATO membership. At the time, members of the terrorist groups PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) were active in Sweden. Türkiye declared that if Sweden and Finland wished to join NATO, they first needed to take concrete steps in combating terrorism, and therefore initially withheld its approval for their accession.

As a result, attention at the summit focused on the messages President Erdoğan would deliver on the issue. Negotiations took place during the summit, culminating in the signing of a trilateral memorandum with Sweden and Finland that outlined a roadmap for their eventual admission into NATO. Türkiye emphasized that it expected concrete actions from both countries before ratifying their membership, and approval was ultimately granted after the necessary legislative and policy measures had been implemented.

2023 summit

At the Vilnius Summit, NATO agreed, at Turkey’s request, to establish the position of Special Coordinator for counterterrorism. Owing in part to host Lithuania’s geographical proximity to the conflict, the Russia–Ukraine conflict dominated the summit agenda.

Türkiye’s role in facilitating initiatives such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative and prisoner exchanges, as well as its broader mediation efforts, made it one of the countries with the deepest involvement in the diplomatic process. Consequently, international media closely followed President Erdoğan’s remarks, with journalists lining up outside the venue of his post-summit press conference.

The summit also reaffirmed Türkiye’s long-standing position that NATO allies should refrain from imposing either overt or covert arms embargoes or sanctions against one another.

2024 summit

As Türkiye’s influence within NATO continued to expand, President Erdoğan held numerous bilateral meetings with world leaders during the summit in Washington D.C., presenting the "Turkish vision."

It was at this summit that the decision was made for Türkiye to host the 2026 NATO Summit. While in Washington, Erdoğan once again strongly criticized what he described as Israel’s violations of international law.

The summit also updated NATO’s strategy document on counterterrorism. Additionally, the Alliance reaffirmed the Vilnius decision supporting Türkiye’s priority that allies should not impose sanctions on one another.

Following Erdoğan’s announcement that Türkiye would veto Israel’s participation in certain NATO activities open to non-member partners, pro-Israel lobbying groups intensified efforts to reduce Türkiye’s influence within the Alliance.

2025 summit

At the 2025 Hague Summit, many allies moved closer to Türkiye’s position on assuming greater responsibility in addressing emerging threats and security challenges.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted closer defense industrial cooperation by stating, "From Texas to Ankara," signaling that the Alliance increasingly shared Ankara’s perspective on this issue.

President Erdoğan emphasized "diplomacy for peace" in Ukraine and "justice for Gaza." Although the U.S.–Iran conflict had not yet begun at that time, President Erdoğan also stated that "a lasting solution to issues with Iran is only possible through diplomacy and negotiation," an evidence of Türkiye’s accurate assessment of regional developments.