01.07.2026 10:51
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said ahead of the Ankara Summit that Turkey has one of the strongest armies in NATO and is critically important for the Alliance with its defense industry consisting of approximately 3,000 companies. Rutte also stated, "The biggest threat that keeps me awake at night is Russia."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in an interview, evaluated his expectations for the Ankara Summit, the future of NATO, the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe's defense capacity, and Türkiye's role within the Alliance.
Rutte stated that the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8 should be a meeting where the decisions taken at the Hague Summit are implemented.
Expressing that increasing defense spending, maintaining support for Ukraine, and the 'NATO 3.0' vision will constitute the three main agenda items of the summit, Rutte said that merely increasing budgets will not be sufficient, and the production capacity of the defense industry must also be rapidly expanded.
'NATO 3.0' ERA
Explaining the concept of 'NATO 3.0,' Rutte stated that in the new era, European countries and Canada will assume more responsibility in defense.
Expressing that the US will maintain its critical role in NATO, Rutte nevertheless stated that Europe will come to a more effective position both in defense spending and military capacity.
Rutte said, 'This will be a different structure from NATO 2.0, which was overly dependent on the US. A stronger Europe means a stronger NATO.'
'THE BIGGEST THREAT KEEPING ME AWAKE IS RUSSIA'
Stating that Russia is the biggest security threat NATO faces, Rutte noted that Moscow's attacks on Ukraine clearly demonstrate this.
Expressing that Russia acts in close cooperation with China, Iran, and North Korea, Rutte also drew attention to China's rapidly increasing military capacity.
Stating, 'The fundamental threat we face in the long term remains Russia,' Rutte said NATO must strengthen its deterrence against this picture.
'TÜRKİYE HAS ONE OF NATO'S STRONGEST ARMIES'
Emphasizing that Türkiye is one of the critically important countries for NATO, Rutte praised the strength of the Turkish Armed Forces and its defense industry.
He stated, 'Türkiye is extremely important. It has one of the strongest armies in the Alliance. It is extremely well-equipped and well-trained. Having a massive defense industry infrastructure consisting of approximately 3,000 companies is also a significant advantage.'
Drawing attention to the innovation power of Türkiye's defense industry, Rutte said that the reflection of lessons learned from the Ukraine war onto production is particularly striking.
EMPHASIS ON ASELSAN
Reminding that he visited ASELSAN in April, Rutte stated that he was impressed by the company's production capacity and international collaborations.
Expressing that the partnerships developed by the Turkish defense industry with companies in Europe and the US are important for NATO's deterrence, Rutte noted that the Defense Industry Forum to be held in Ankara is therefore of great importance.
'TERRORISM IS ALSO AMONG NATO'S PRIORITIES'
Rutte said that NATO does not focus solely on threats originating from Russia but also sees the fight against terrorism among its priorities within the scope of a 360-degree security approach.
Stating that Türkiye's experience in this regard and its contributions to NATO are of great value for the Alliance, Rutte expressed that the information shared by Turkish political and military authorities plays a critical role for NATO's security.
EMPHASIS ON TÜRKİYE IN EUROPEAN DEFENSE
Evaluating the European Union's initiatives in the defense field, Rutte said that Europe's security cannot be achieved by excluding non-EU NATO countries such as Türkiye, the UK, and Norway.
Emphasizing that NATO acts with an inclusive approach, Rutte stated, 'We need to build an alliance that stretches from California to Ankara and includes all allies.'
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE MESSAGE
Stating that he welcomes France's approach to using its nuclear capacity more effectively for Europe's security, Rutte expressed that the nuclear deterrence structure formed by the US, the UK, and France provides strong assurance for NATO.
Stating that the nuclear umbrella provided by the US is one of the fundamental elements of the Alliance's security, Rutte expressed that the current nuclear deterrence architecture sufficiently protects NATO.