Ambassador Basat Öztürk, Türkiye's permanent representative to NATO, highlighted that the alliance's summit in Ankara should be a clear demonstration of unity and solidarity among allies.
"Türkiye's as well as all allies' collective objective and expectation is to clearly reaffirm unity, solidarity and cohesion among allies. This is the number one expectation," Öztürk told Anadolu Agency (AA) at NATO headquarters in Brussels ahead of the launch of the summit on Tuesday.
He said extensive preparations have been made for the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, to be hosted by Türkiye in Ankara on July 7-8, and that the logistical and infrastructure work would set a new benchmark for future NATO summits. Öztürk stressed the importance of allied leaders arriving in Ankara with a shared determination to succeed together. He said that unity, solidarity and cohesion should be reflected not only in political statements but also in the successful outcome of the meeting, adding that such political will already exists among allies.
"Undoubtedly, the fact that U.S. President (Donald) Trump will attend the summit and has stated that he is doing so out of respect for our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) is very important. This situation shows everyone the weight of our president and that our country will host the summit very effectively," he said.
Commenting on NATO’s decision-making structures, Öztürk highlighted the significance of the alliance’s Article 5 on collective defense. He stated that NATO's Article 5 on collective defense remained the alliance's defining feature and distinguished it from other international organizations through its integrated military command structure and decades of institutional experience.
"There is a significant difference between being a NATO ally and not being one,” he said, adding that its integrated military command structure and long-established mechanisms developed over more than 75 years have distinguished it from any other regional or international organization. He said decisions within NATO's North Atlantic Council are made through consultation and consensus, adding that no decision is imposed on any ally. "Türkiye has a very distinct and special place within NATO," Ozturk said, citing the country's long-standing membership, operational experience and military capabilities. He also highlighted Türkiye’s progress in its defense industry, including its participation in NATO exercises. Referring to the "Steadfast Dart 2026” exercise in the North and Baltic Seas, he noted the participation of the Turkish Naval Task Group, frigates, logistics vessels, TCG Anadolu, as well as Bayraktar TB3 armed drones and ZAHA amphibious assault vehicles. He said the exercise demonstrated Türkiye’s ability to conduct joint operations in full interoperability with NATO, even under harsh winter conditions, contributing to the Alliance’s 360-degree security approach.
Öztürk added that Türkiye’s defense industry capacity, including nearly 4,000 companies, its top-10 global defense export ranking, and a workforce of more than 100,000 engineers and technical personnel, is closely followed and appreciated by NATO allies. Addressing the concept of "NATO 3.0,” Öztürk said the alliance’s early Cold War phase, described as "NATO 1.0," was based on collective defense and Article 5. "After the Cold War, a period of relative peace and stability began. During this time, as you know, NATO shifted its focus toward out-of-area operations and missions. That was the prevailing trend of the era. Some of our allies, particularly in Europe, set aside the heavy military equipment inherited from the Cold War period. They also abolished compulsory military service and downsized their armed forces," he added. However, Öztürk said, Türkiye had not experienced such a "comfort period" because of its geographical location and security environment, remaining in a constant state of readiness.
Referring to longstanding U.S. calls for greater burden-sharing, Öztürk said the "NATO 3.0" vision seeks greater responsibility from European allies as U.S. contributions shift. "For allies that are ready, there is actually no problem," he said, adding that burden-sharing should be balanced among all allies.
Öztürk also said that creating a separate EU security and defense mechanism was not the solution. He said the EU could complement NATO allies in areas where it has comparative advantages, but stressed that such support must remain inclusive for all willing allies. The Turkish permanent representative to NATO said that several restrictions imposed by some EU member states have hindered deeper defense cooperation, calling for remaining barriers to be removed. "If a common success is to be achieved in the defense industry, this is necessary,” he said, adding that trans-Atlantic cooperation in defense procurement and joint projects is essential.
He stressed the significance of the NATO Defence Industry Forum to be held during the NATO summit in Ankara, where new joint projects, agreements and contracts are expected to be announced. He added that if the EU takes the necessary steps, all European allies will become stronger and Europe will also be more secure.