NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday described Türkiye as one of the alliance's strongest military powers ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara, saying the country will play a key role in strengthening the alliance's defense industrial base and implementing commitments made at the alliance's previous summit.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) at NATO headquarters in Brussels before the July 7-8 Ankara summit, Rutte said Türkiye remains a vital ally with one of NATO's most capable armed forces and a rapidly expanding defense industry.
"Türkiye is extremely important to NATO," Rutte said. "It has one of the strongest armies in the alliance. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are very well-equipped and well-trained, and Türkiye has the advantage of a massive defense industry."
NATO stages its biggest exercise this year in Germany, with some 10,000 personnel from 11 countries. Türkiye, which has the defense body’s second-largest army, dispatched 2,000 personnel for the Steadfast Dart 2026 in February. The exercise aimed to showcase NATO’s ability to deploy rapidly and conduct complex operations, the body said in a statement.
It was the first time that Türkiye sent so many troops to Northern Europe, though the country is a major component of NATO at a time of heightened defense worries in Europe.
Türkiye also hosts critical NATO facilities, including the Allied Land Command, which is located in the western city of Izmir, and the Rapid Deployable Corps, which is based in Istanbul. The capital, Ankara, hosts the Center of Excellence for Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) and the Partnership for Peace Training Center. Istanbul hosts the NATO Maritime Security Center of Excellence (MARSEC COE).
Moreover, Rutte said he hopes the Ankara summit will be remembered as the meeting where allies began implementing the pledges they made at the alliance's summit in The Hague.
"We made the commitments in The Hague. The Ankara summit should be the implementation summit," he said.
According to Rutte, defense spending will be one of the three main priorities of the gathering, alongside continued support for Ukraine and advancing what he described as "NATO 3.0," a vision for a stronger alliance with greater European responsibility for collective defense.
"We need to recruit the men and women who will serve in our armed forces, and we must significantly expand defense industrial production," Rutte said. "We have to increase this capacity very quickly."
Explaining his vision of "NATO 3.0," Rutte said the concept represents a new balance of responsibilities within the alliance, with European allies assuming a greater share of defense spending and operational leadership while the United States maintains its critical military and nuclear role.
"NATO 3.0 means moving beyond a NATO that relied too heavily on the United States," he said. "The U.S. will remain indispensable through its conventional military capabilities and nuclear deterrence, but Europe will take on greater responsibility."
He said European allies are expected to assume command of NATO's three Joint Force Commands in the near future, while Europe and Canada will also finance a greater share of military assistance to Ukraine, even as Washington continues supplying key military equipment.
According to Rutte, a more balanced distribution of responsibilities will strengthen NATO's deterrence against potential adversaries.
Addressing security challenges facing the alliance, Rutte identified Russia as NATO's primary long-term threat, citing Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, the main long-term threat we face is Russia," he said. "We see this clearly in Russia's irrational war of aggression against Ukraine."
Rutte argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated a willingness to sustain heavy military losses, saying Russia is accepting roughly 35,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded each month.
"That shows Ukraine is fighting effectively on the battlefield," he said, while noting the human cost of the conflict for soldiers and their families.
He also warned against underestimating China's military modernization, noting projections that Beijing could possess around 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
"We should not be naive about China," Rutte said, adding that Russia is increasingly cooperating with China, Iran and North Korea.
While describing that partnership as a growing strategic concern, Rutte maintained that Russia remains NATO's principal long-term security challenge.
The Ankara summit is expected to focus on implementing alliance defense commitments, expanding defense production, sustaining military support for Ukraine and advancing NATO's long-term adaptation to evolving global security threats.
