National Intelligence Academy (MIA) Vice President Hakkı Uygur said Tuesday that Türkiye’s growing intelligence and defense capabilities have elevated the country’s role within NATO and regional security affairs, ahead of next month’s alliance summit in Ankara.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of the NATO heads of state and government summit scheduled for July 7-8 in the Turkish capital, Uygur said the alliance is undergoing a significant transformation driven by shifting geopolitical realities, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“This year’s NATO summit will be highly significant,” Uygur said, noting that ongoing debates within the alliance over burden-sharing, European security and Washington’s strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific region have increased Türkiye’s importance within NATO.
“The fact that the summit is being held in Türkiye means that these critical discussions will take place in Türkiye,” he said. “As geopolitical developments become more prominent, countries like Türkiye, which play an influential role in the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Black Sea and the Middle East, inevitably come to the forefront.”
Uygur highlighted Ankara’s recent advances in intelligence and defense technologies, arguing that they have strengthened the country’s position both within the alliance and across its surrounding regions.
“In recent years, Türkiye’s intelligence capacity has developed significantly. Likewise, it has made important strides in the defense industry,” he noted. “All of this has made Türkiye an actor that cannot be ignored, both within the alliance and in regional developments.”
Uygur also underlined that NATO’s continued relevance depends on its ability to adapt to emerging threats and changing security conditions.
“Organizations that fail to keep pace with change and transformation eventually lose their relevance,” he said, adding that NATO has managed to survive beyond its original Cold War mission despite periodic internal disagreements.
According to Uygur, the alliance’s efforts in intelligence sharing, technological cooperation and counterterrorism demonstrate its continued vitality. However, he said recent developments have accelerated NATO’s transformation as member states increasingly share a common perception of security threats.
He argued that some of Türkiye’s national security concerns were not taken seriously by certain allies in previous years. The security environment created by Russia’s war in Ukraine, he said, has led European countries to view Moscow as a direct threat.
“Today NATO is changing and transforming,” Uygur said. “Only in this way can it adapt to new conditions. Otherwise, like many international organizations before it, it risks losing its meaning.”
