Türkiye spearheads the efforts against terrorism within the military bloc NATO through its NATO Centre of Excellence for Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT). The center provides the alliance with expertise and experience in counterterrorism, aiming to strengthen NATO and its partners against evolving threats.
Following Türkiye’s declaration of intent to establish the center in 2003 and the subsequent preparation of memoranda of understanding, COE-DAT was officially founded on June 28, 2005, in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The center met the accreditation criteria set by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and was approved as an International Military Organization by the North Atlantic Council (NAC) on Aug. 14, 2006.
Currently, military personnel from seven countries serve at COE-DAT. Italy and Albania have recently applied for participation, with their inclusion approved by ACT and pending national legal procedures.
On April 15, 2015, ACT designated COE-DAT as the NATO Counterterrorism Education and Training Branch. Among the 30 NATO-accredited Centres of Excellence, COE-DAT is the second to receive accreditation, with its courses, conferences, symposia, seminars, workshops and mobile training programs drawing 18,447 participants from 124 nations.
Col. Halil Sıddık Ayhan said that in inspections by NATO headquarters in September, the center successfully met 31 standards, securing unconditional NATO Quality Assurance Institutional Accreditation for six years, effective this Jan. 1. "The center is a multinational institution that provides NATO with counterterrorism expertise and experience,” he stressed. He highlighted COE-DAT’s role in supporting NATO’s transformation process and Allied Command Transformation by adapting to terrorism’s evolving nature.
"Our mission is to train military and civilian security personnel from allied and partner nations at the strategic and operational levels, organize conferences, seminars and workshops featuring expert academics, experienced military personnel, and policymakers, develop projects, publish reports, journals and books, and ensure that lessons learned from counterterrorism efforts contribute to future projects and strategies,” he explained.
Ayhan noted that COE-DAT brings together experts in counterterrorism to hold courses, conferences, and seminars aimed at enhancing the knowledge of both military and civilian professionals at the national and international levels.
Each year, COE-DAT hosts a Terrorism Experts Conference, bringing together senior representatives from international organizations, NATO entities, other Centres of Excellence, and academic institutions. "Our objective is to strengthen NATO and our global partners against future threats and to equip security professionals with a common understanding of counterterrorism,” Ayhan said. "Terrorism is a shared threat to all nations and humanity, requiring collective efforts to combat. In all our NATO-certified courses, we emphasize the significance of international cooperation and the principle that an attack on one is an attack on all.”
COE-DAT prioritizes the exploration of emerging and underexamined aspects of terrorism, contributing to NATO’s ongoing transformation. The center publishes the peer-reviewed Defence Against Terrorism Review (DATR) twice a year and produces various counterterrorism books in English.
Ayhan emphasized that since Türkiye joined NATO on Feb. 13, 1952 – over 70 years ago – it has remained committed to the alliance’s spirit of solidarity. "Türkiye has always fulfilled its responsibilities in NATO missions with its capabilities and expertise. As NATO’s adviser on counterterrorism and an accredited institution, COE-DAT contributes to global peace and security by training highly qualified counterterrorism personnel, proudly representing our country internationally,” he said. COE-DAT also publishes brochures and catalogs detailing its activities, which are distributed to Turkish military attaches abroad, foreign embassies in Türkiye, and NATO headquarters.
Deputy Commander Col. Jose Cabrera highlighted COE-DAT’s ability to conduct mobile training sessions in allied and partner nations upon request.
"To date, the center has conducted 328 activities in 22 countries, including 39 mobile training programs, with 3,505 trainers and 14,942 trainees from 124 countries, totaling 18,447 participants,” Cabrera said. He said the center’s vision is to serve as a hub for international military, governmental, nongovernmental, industrial and academic communities engaged in counterterrorism, while its mission is to provide decision-makers with a comprehensive understanding of terrorism and counterterrorism.
Cabrera noted that COE-DAT staff includes 39 Turkish personnel and seven foreign officers from Albania, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania and the U.S. Invitations to NATO member and partner nations are sent via military attaches, allowing security personnel from relevant military and civilian institutions to take part in courses. "The participation criteria are outlined in our annual course catalog and invitation letters. English is the official language for all center activities,” Cabrera stated.
