Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed optimism about defense cooperation with the United States following the 36th NATO Summit in Ankara. Speaking after the summit—and in a social media post—Erdoğan described the gathering as a success, underscoring Turkey’s central role within the Alliance amid shifting global security dynamics.
NATO 3.0 and Turkey’s Strategic Role
Erdoğan emphasized that the summit, held amid great-power competition, hybrid threats, regional crises, and emerging technologies, reaffirmed Turkey’s pivotal position in international security architecture. He highlighted the country’s military capabilities, strategic geography, diplomatic experience, and growing defense industry as key assets positioning Turkey at the heart of NATO’s evolution toward what he termed “NATO 3.0”—a vision focused on strengthening European defense capacity and adapting the Alliance to new geopolitical realities.
Defense Talks with Trump
On the sidelines of the summit, Erdoğan held bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, who visited Turkey officially for the event. Erdoğan characterized the discussions as constructive and productive, expressing confidence that they would yield concrete outcomes aligned with Ankara’s defense industry expectations—particularly concerning Turkey’s indigenous fighter jet program, KAAN, and the long-standing F-35 initiative.
Broadening Alliances
Also during the summit, Turkey signed a Security and Defense Partnership Agreement with the United Kingdom. Additionally, preliminary negotiations began on a Free Trade Agreement with Canada.