Is there no need to fear NATO anymore?

NATO’s future was decided in Ankara

NATO is the world’s most powerful military alliance. Every decision the organization makes affects the fate of the globe. Bringing together 32 countries in Europe and North America, the alliance not only ensures the defense of its member states but also directly influences geopolitical processes in various parts of the world. Therefore, every NATO summit remains in the spotlight as an important political process that determines the next direction of global security.

The fact that NATO’s 36th summit was held in Türkiye on July 7-8 this year is a matter of particular significance. Erdoğan’s administration, which is not especially favored by Europe, is now trying to lead the entire organization. Against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, demands to increase defense spending, conflicts of interest within the alliance, and statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, this two-day meeting became the focus of international attention.

The decisions adopted during the summit, negotiations between heads of state and unexpected political episodes show which “path” NATO is now taking. So did the summit in Türkiye once again demonstrate the alliance’s strength, or did it instead expose its internal problems?

General overview of the event

On July 7-8, the 36th summit in NATO history was held at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye. Twenty-two years after hosting the summit in Istanbul in 2004, Türkiye once again hosted the alliance’s most important political event.

The summit was attended by the heads of government of NATO’s 32 member states, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as the leaders of the European Council and the European Commission. As expected, the main topics of the event were increasing defense spending, the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in the Middle East, defense industry cooperation and the alliance’s future strategic directions.

After Donald Trump came to power in the United States, funding allocated to the organization sharply decreased. This alarmed European countries that had entrusted their defense to NATO. Since then, the allies’ main concern has become either restoring the previous level of support or strengthening their own military power.

The first day of the summit began with the Defense Industry Forum. NATO countries, defense companies and industry representatives discussed expanding the alliance’s production capacity, accelerating weapons production and introducing new technologies into the military sphere. The forum also showed that NATO is becoming not only a political or military alliance but also a platform for industrial and technological cooperation.

After that, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held a press conference ahead of the summit. He stressed that the alliance’s plan adopted last year to sharply increase defense investments is being implemented in practice, and that member states have seriously begun developing the defense industry and expanding joint production.

Rutte emphasized that the summit’s main goal is to transform NATO’s economic potential into real military power and adapt to modern threats. From the Secretary General’s speech, it can be understood that the allies do not want to appear weak in front of the world. Even if its pockets are empty, NATO is still standing.

In the second half of the day, heads of state and government held bilateral meetings. In particular, negotiations between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump attracted great attention. From Trump’s words and the issues he raised, it was clear that he had come to the summit to seek Erdoğan’s help. This time, the White House leader appeared not threatening, but soft and flattering. It was no coincidence that the most discussed topics included Ukraine, a collective policy toward Russia, security in the Middle East and the cancellation of certain restrictions imposed on Türkiye.

The second day was the main political part of the summit. The heads of state first took the traditional family photo, after which the plenary session of the North Atlantic Council began. It discussed defense spending, strengthening the alliance’s eastern flank, assistance to Ukraine, the policy of deterrence toward Russia, and NATO’s possible role in the Middle East.

It is difficult to say whether this was an attempt to win Washington’s trust or whether this is truly NATO’s real position, but Mark Rutte’s support for attacks on Iran drew criticism from many.

“I think this was absolutely necessary. We saw yesterday how ships were attacked. Iran is violating the ceasefire regime,” the NATO Secretary General said.

During the two-day summit, in addition to official negotiations, informal meetings, press conferences and diplomatic contacts also remained in the focus of international media. In particular, Donald Trump’s sharp statements and Türkiye’s openly displayed ambitions turned the NATO summit from a formal event into something resembling an interesting television show.

“This was a very successful summit”

U.S. President Donald Trump described the summit results by saying, “This was a very successful summit.” But was everything really like that, and what was achieved during the two-day summit?

As noted above, defense remains the most important issue for NATO. According to statements made at the summit, allies’ defense spending increased compared with last year’s calculations. In particular, in 2025, European allies and Canada increased their defense spending by 20% compared with the previous year, or by almost $139 billion. NATO’s leadership assessed this as one of the sharpest increases since the end of the Cold War. At the same time, member states once again confirmed their plan to gradually raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

For a long time, a large share of the organization’s military expenditures was indeed covered by the United States. Perhaps this was the Pentagon’s long-term strategy, or perhaps it was simply a coincidence, but without U.S. money, the continent’s defense is now in a somewhat vulnerable position. Trump’s statements about NATO assistance are not entirely true, but they are not completely wrong either.

“At one point, we were paying almost 100% of NATO’s costs. Many countries were paying nothing at all,” the White House leader said in an interview with journalists.

Naturally, the greatest attention was focused on Ukraine. NATO countries formally agreed to allocate a total of 70 billion euros to Ukraine in 2026 for military equipment, ammunition, air defense systems, training programs and logistics. More importantly, this assistance is not a one-time package. In the summit declaration, the allies also undertook to maintain at least the same amount of support in 2027. This shows that the allies themselves do not believe the conflict with Russia will end next year either.

One of the summit’s largest economic outcomes was recorded at the Defense Industry Forum. According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, new military procurement contracts worth 50 billion euros were signed during the forum. These are aimed at producing and supplying air defense systems, long-range missiles, drones, ammunition and other strategic weapons. The NATO chief called these agreements one of the largest defense industry initiatives in the alliance’s history.

In addition, a new investment program worth 27 billion euros was announced to strengthen logistics and military infrastructure. These funds will be directed toward modernizing fuel depots, expanding pipeline networks, reorganizing supply chains and increasing NATO’s military mobility on its eastern flank. Creating the ability to rapidly transport military cargo in areas bordering Russia was identified as one of the alliance’s main goals.

The view that future wars will be decided not by large armies but by technologies was confirmed once again in Ankara. During the summit, NATO launched a new $40 billion initiative to develop drone technologies. Under the plan, over the next five years, the alliance will widely introduce artificial intelligence-based control systems, unmanned platforms and integrated combat technologies. The law of the world is clear: if you want peace, be ready for war.

Global security issues also played an important role at the Ankara summit. In the final declaration, the allies once again confirmed their position that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons and called on Tehran to comply with its international obligations. The need to restore free shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, ensure the security of international maritime trade and reduce tensions in the region was also emphasized separately.

However, it should not be forgotten that before the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, the strait was an open and completely free waterway. But because Europe is constrained before America, no one says this openly.

The summit also drew attention for another reason. NATO demonstrated in practice that it does not intend to limit its activities only to Europe and the North Atlantic. New political agreements were reached to further strengthen security ties with Indo-Pacific partners such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, as well as to expand cooperation with the European Union in defense and technology.

In his statement following the summit, Mark Rutte emphasized that “in Ankara, NATO did not simply make promises, but delivered real results.” In his view, record investments in the defense industry, a plan for long-term support for Ukraine and new technological initiatives were important steps toward preparing the alliance for future threats.

Türkiye’s ambitions

The Ankara summit was not merely another NATO meeting; it also became a stage for demonstrating Türkiye’s geopolitical potential. Over two days, not only the future of the alliance was discussed, but Türkiye’s role between the West and East, its diplomatic influence and its growing capabilities in the defense industry were once again displayed.

One of the summit’s most important diplomatic achievements was the defense agreement between Türkiye and the United Kingdom. The two countries agreed to deepen cooperation in security and the defense industry, expand joint production and increase the exchange of strategic technologies.

Türkiye’s national fighter jet project and its achievements in military aviation in recent years can be seen as among the main reasons why its number of partners is growing. Turkish military technologies, which are cheaper than the alternatives offered by the United States but highly effective for their price, are becoming one of the possible solutions that could save NATO’s defense sector.

However, the most discussed meeting at the summit was undoubtedly the negotiations between Turkish President Erdoğan and the U.S. President. The warm dialogue between the two leaders differed sharply from the cold relations of previous years. Trump openly stated his intention to lift U.S. sanctions imposed on Türkiye and said he supported restoring defense cooperation with Ankara. According to Reuters and a number of reputable publications, he even said he was ready to consider Türkiye’s return to the F-35 program.

The Ankara summit also stood out not only for its political decisions but also for its symbolic messages. Türkiye welcomed the guests with ceremonial events. The historical melodies performed by the military orchestra, ceremonial performances depicting warriors of Turkic peoples and the ceremonies at the Presidential Complex were interpreted by many observers as references to the legacy of the Ottoman Empire.

Through this, Ankara sought to present itself not only as an important member on NATO’s eastern flank but also as a regional power with centuries-old geopolitical traditions. Ankara portrayed itself today as the leader of Turkic states and once again reminded European countries that had once turned away from it of its power.

It must also be acknowledged that Türkiye’s greatest advantage lies not so much in its military potential as in its geographical and diplomatic position. In the region stretching from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, and from the Caucasus to the Middle East, Ankara has become a direct participant in almost all major geopolitical issues.

Creating a platform for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, continuing dialogue with Moscow on the Syrian issue, and active participation in NATO all allow Türkiye to operate on several geopolitical fronts at once. This is becoming an alternative way for continental countries, which are increasingly struggling to assist Ukraine, to protect themselves from Russia.

A similar situation exists in the Middle East. Türkiye’s role is also growing in possible negotiations between Iran and the West, and in ensuring the security of energy and cargo transportation through the Strait of Hormuz. At the NATO summit, as alliance leaders discussed instability in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear program and the security of regional logistics routes, Ankara’s mediation potential received special attention. This shows that the promises the United States is making to Türkiye are not without reason.

One of the Ankara summit’s biggest political outcomes is that Türkiye is now seen not merely as the country with NATO’s second-largest army, but also as one of the most important diplomatic centers within the alliance. However, Erdoğan wants to turn the country not into a state that fully sides with the West, but into an actor that acts solely in Türkiye’s interests on any political stage.

In conclusion, the Ankara summit was not only another meeting in NATO’s history, but also the beginning of a major political transformation that changed the centers of power within the organization and created new perceptions of the alliance.