09.07.2026 21:00
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, evaluating the 36th NATO Summit hosted by Turkey, emphasized that the two-day intensive program once again proved that Turkey is a central actor shaping NATO's security agenda, and thanked the citizens of Ankara for their unique hospitality during the summit.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the successful completion of the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, hosted by Turkey in Ankara. In a written statement on his social media account following the two-day summit, Erdoğan declared Turkey's intention to increase its defense expenditures to 3.5% before 2030 and allocated an additional budget of $24 billion for air and missile defense capabilities for the Steel Dome Project.
32 LEADERS MET IN ANKARA, THE NATIONAL LIBRARY BECAME THE PRESS CENTER
The historic summit held at the Presidential Complex was attended by 32 NATO member heads of state and government, along with nearly 100 ministers, senior diplomats, and representatives of international organizations. Stating that security and transportation measures were meticulously planned to ensure daily life in Ankara was not disrupted during the summit, Erdoğan noted that the Presidential National Library served as an international media center. The summit was followed by over 2,500 media members, a record attendance, and broadcasts from 26 different points coordinated by TRT brought the Ankara Summit to the entire world.
NEW DEFENSE AGREEMENTS EXCEEDING $50 BILLION
President Erdoğan stated that the Ankara Summit Declaration reaffirmed commitment to the principle of collective defense and listed the prominent topics of the summit as follows:
Removal of defense trade barriers among allies,
New defense procurement agreements exceeding $50 billion,
Provision of military equipment, aid, and training support to Ukraine,
Strengthening the Alliance in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space, integrated air and missile defense, and unmanned systems.
"WE WILL INCREASE DEFENSE EXPENDITURES TO 3.5%"
Emphasizing that Turkey is a key ally directly contributing to the Alliance's defense, diplomacy, and crisis resolution capacity, Erdoğan shared, "We have demonstrated our will to increase our defense expenditures to 3.5% before 2030. Regarding expenditures related to security and resilience, we have already reached a budget share of 1.5%. We also stated that we have allocated an additional budget of $24 billion for air and missile defense capabilities for the Steel Dome Project."
EMPHASIS ON DIPLOMACY AND PEACE IN GLOBAL CRISES
President Erdoğan also highlighted Turkey's mediating and peaceful role in global crises, saying, "Turkey continues to keep communication channels open for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war; advocates restraint, diplomacy, and lasting peace in the Iran-US process; and defends a ceasefire, stability, and multilateral cooperation approach in the Gaza, Lebanon, and Libya issues. The Ankara Summit has shown that Turkey is a central actor that shapes NATO's security agenda, maintains a regional peace perspective, and contributes concretely to the transformation of the Alliance with its defense industry capacity."
Erdoğan thanked all public personnel, media members, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and the people of Ankara for their hospitality and selfless efforts in ensuring the smooth running of the summit.