08.07.2026 14:50
At the NATO summit held in Ankara, Associate Professor Dr. Faik Tanrıkulu, responding to questions from Haberler.com Editor-in-Chief Attorney Bedia Teymur, stated that U.S. President Donald Trump is aware of Turkey's growing power. Tanrıkulu said, "Why does Trump disregard Europe? He says, 'You are not aware of your own weakness.' Why is Trump such a friend and ally to Turkey? Of course, there is leadership diplomacy, but there is also Turkey's transformed power and the point it has reached in its military defense understanding."
The NATO Leaders Summit, hosted by Turkey in Ankara, has entered its second day. As part of the summit, heads of state and government from 32 NATO member countries, thousands of diplomats, journalists, and guests are being hosted, while local and foreign media representatives have shown great interest in the summit. At this historic summit, Haberler.com Editor-in-Chief Attorney Bedia Teymur and Haberler.com Ankara Representative Şerife Güzel are also present.
"INTEREST IN TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY COMPANIES IS VERY IMPORTANT"
Associate Professor Doctor Faik Tanrıkulu, answering Bedia Teymur's questions at the summit, stated that US President Donald Trump is aware of Turkey's rising power, and therefore has established good allied relations. Tanrıkulu used the following expressions: "The industrial forum is one of the firsts. And why did this industrial forum emerge? Concrete steps are now expected from NATO. Rutte's statement also confirms this in a way. He says, 'Money alone is no longer enough.' He mentioned some agreements. This is important. And he mentioned that there is interest in Turkish defense industry companies not only from NATO countries, but also from Canada and the United States. I think this is very important.
In this respect, this summit really differs from others in many ways. The fact that it is happening in Turkey, at a fragile moment on the brink of crisis and war, shows that it will bring things to another point.
To Teymur's question, 'In the last few years, especially after the Russia-Ukraine war, did NATO feel somewhat inadequate and insecure?' Tanrıkulu gave the following answer:
"Factory settings are being mentioned. That is, Security 3.0. What was NATO 2.0? NATO 2.0 actually started a process where NATO stepped outside its purpose. That is, in Libya and Afghanistan, under the guise of fighting terrorism, political instability was created in those countries. It achieved no results. Therefore, this summit and 3.0 actually refer back to the factory settings of 1.0. So what was 1.0? It was truly a protective umbrella, a defense alliance, a mechanism. At that time, there were Soviet threats. Turkey's entry into that process was not a random step. Because there were Soviet demands. Hence, Turkey had to make a decision. And it decided in favor of NATO. So, can this process they call 3.0 truly be successful? Will it really form an alliance against Russia? This is not easy.
"EUROPE MUST GET OUT OF THE DILEMMA REGARDING TURKEY"
There is a statement from European Commission President Von der Leyen. She made a major blunder. She backtracked. Von der Leyen said: 'As Europe, China, Russia, and Turkey.' What kind of statement is that? Who is in NATO? Which country contributes the largest military force in NATO? Also, historically, Turkey in a way protects NATO's southern flank in matters of terrorism, energy, and security. It is a uniquely tailored role, and you lump Turkey in with others. This is a major blunder. Actually, it's not just a blunder. It's partly mental, subconscious. It was, in a way, a confession of what lies in the subconscious. Europe must get out of this dilemma.
"WHY IS TRUMP SO FRIENDLY AND ALLIED WITH TURKEY"
Today in the world, the number of European companies is decreasing. When you look at national income rates and growth rates, China is up against America. Europe is nowhere to be seen. Why does Trump ignore Europe? He says, 'You are not aware of your own weakness. Leave those old clichés and face reality.' Why is Trump so friendly and allied with Turkey today? Of course, there is leadership diplomacy. There is the Trump-Erdoğan relationship, but on the other hand, there is Turkey's changing, transforming power and its current position in military defense understanding.
We have been here for two days. There is truly an extraordinary organization. All details have been thought of. From food, refreshments, services, to arrivals and departures. All media members attending this summit and those who attended previous summits say this: It was truly different from the others. We have shown Turkish hospitality to the world. This is important. More importantly, when the last NATO summit was held in Istanbul, Turkey was a country that was just beginning to find its footing.
In other words, there is a world of difference between today's summit and that time. The economy has grown, national income has tripled, and most importantly, the investments made in military defense understanding have begun to come to light. Turkey has crossed this psychological threshold.
There was also cooperation with Ukraine regarding drones. Actually, Ukraine is also one of the countries that is good at drone technology. But these Turkish drones have truly broken all the molds in counter-terrorism and cross-border operations. This is truly a historic transformation."