08.07.2026 20:30
President Erdogan, who appeared before cameras after the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Ankara, responded to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis regarding the non-sale of F-35s to Turkey. Erdogan said, "Neither statement has a place in my world. It is clear which waters Netanyahu swims in. Mitsotakis should not fall into such a mistake."
Ankara hosted the NATO summit for 2 days. Many world leaders attended the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, which lasted two days. Following the summit, President Erdogan appeared before the cameras and made statements.
Key highlights from Erdogan's statements are as follows:
"We have just successfully concluded the NATO Summit, which we organized in our country after 22 years and for the first time in Ankara. This historic summit, which we hosted at a time when Euro-Atlantic security is being tested, has been conducted in a manner that will shape our common future.
"MANY CRISES AND CONFLICTS OCCURRED AROUND US"
We have laid the foundations in Ankara for a strong NATO, where European allies will take on more responsibility within the alliance, and our military capacity will be reinforced through a fair burden-sharing.
First, I would like to highlight one point. As Turkey, we have not benefited from the peace dividend of the post-Cold War era as much as our European friends. Many crises and conflicts occurred around us. We fought against threats in our vicinity. There were times when we were left alone and treated unfairly. Therefore, we often had to fend for ourselves. But today, in terms of defense spending, military capabilities, and the defense industry that underpins them, we are far ahead of many of our allies.
At our summit, we focused on the implementation of the commitments made last year in The Hague. Secretary General Rutte presented the progress made by allies in numbers. We also concretized our multi-dimensional and gradually increasing contributions to the alliance on this occasion."
Details are coming...