Türkiye is preparing to host the 36th annual NATO summit in Ankara on 7-8th July, marking the second occasion when Ankara will have hosted the annual meeting of NATO heads of state and government since joining the Alliance during its first enlargement in 1952. The summit will take place amidst regional and global security challenges such as Russia’s war against Ukraine and the aftermath of the US-Israeli war against Iran, while the transatlantic rift on burden-sharing, the 2025 commitment to raise defence spending and the growing number of hybrid threats on the eastern flank are all expected to be key agenda items. This year’s summit will be accompanied by the inaugural NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF), bringing together public and private stakeholders, with implications for multiple industries, including defence, cybersecurity, tech, energy and logistics.
During the summit, Türkiye is expected to reaffirm its role as a strategic mediator between the West and its adversaries, emphasize its dual focus on domestic economic reform and advancing regional security and actively participate in regional conflict resolution. Looking ahead, Turkish foreign policy is actively pursuing possible avenues to elevate the country’s geopolitical standing from a regional power to become an influential global actor in the long run. This is evidenced by multiple recent developments, including Türkiye’s efforts to build a strong domestic defence sector and position itself as a regional energy hub. Beyond the summit, Ankara also seeks to be more involved in Europe’s security architecture by participating in EU-level initiatives such as the European bloc’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program.
In addition to focusing on Ukraine, defence spending and industry reform, the summit is expected to be dominated by discussions to strengthen NATO’s European pillar by introducing the NATO 3.0 concept. Pushed by the US as Washington reorganizes its security posture, the concept entails European countries being primarily responsible for the conventional defence of the Continent while being protected by the US security umbrella. The E5 nations (Europe’s five largest armies) are also working in this direction, while Türkiye’s aspirations also correspond with this objective.
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