Politics
Turkish Defense Ministry welcomes Trump’s CAATSA remarks
It is not clear whether it was the “gift” U.S. President Donald Trump had talked about earlier, but the United States inched closer to lifting Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions for Türkiye during the NATO summit held on Wednesday and Thursday.
It was a welcome development for the Defense Ministry.
The Defense Ministry on Thursday described the summit held in Ankara as a “historic gathering” where allies comprehensively addressed current security threats and evaluated strategic decisions aimed at strengthening the alliance’s collective deterrence and defense capabilities.
Speaking at the ministry’s weekly press briefing at the Crescent-Star Joint Headquarters in Ankara, ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk said the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit was held within the framework of a “360-degree security approach.”
The spokesperson also welcomed Trump’s remarks on CAATSA sanctions with relief. “The summit was a historic gathering where the alliance’s current threats were comprehensively addressed, and strategic decisions aimed at strengthening collective deterrence and defense capabilities were evaluated,” Aktürk said.
He said the summit reinforced solidarity among allies, helped develop a shared vision for the evolving security environment and strengthened the common approach to security across the Euro-Atlantic region.
Referring to the Defense Industry Forum and the reception for NATO defense ministers hosted by Defense Minister Yaşar Güler on the sidelines of the summit, Aktürk said the events promoted joint production and technological cooperation among allies while showcasing Türkiye’s high technological capabilities, strong production capacity and innovative vision in the defense industry.
He said Türkiye would continue contributing to international peace, security and stability as a reliable and responsible NATO ally through its strong military, growing domestic defense industry, active defense diplomacy and multidimensional foreign policy.
On questions about Trump’s remarks on possible CAATSA sanctions relief during the NATO summit, the Defense Ministry said Türkiye “continues to make significant contributions to NATO’s deterrence and collective security as a strong and effective ally.”
Aktürk added: “We expect all explicit and implicit restrictions targeting our defense industry, including the CAATSA sanctions, which are incompatible with the spirit of alliance, to be lifted. In this context, we welcome the statements made by the U.S. president and favor an approach that strengthens mutual trust and solidarity among allies rather than restrictions.”
Responding to remarks by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis opposing Türkiye’s potential acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, the ministry said Ankara supports resolving regional issues through constructive dialogue and good-neighborly relations, adding that avoiding rhetoric that could increase tensions would positively contribute to bilateral ties. Aktürk also stressed that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) pose no threat to those who do not threaten Türkiye.
Aktürk said Güler held talks with his counterparts from Japan, Latvia, New Zealand, Hungary, Canada, Romania and Bulgaria on the sidelines of the NATO summit, focusing on defense cooperation, regional security and alliance priorities.
He said Güler also signed a declaration of intent on defense cooperation with Canada and an amendment expanding the mandate of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group to protect critical undersea infrastructure.
He also signed, together with the defense ministers of Romania and Bulgaria, an amendment to a memorandum expanding the mandate of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea) to include the protection of the three countries’ critical undersea infrastructure in the Black Sea.
On July 8, Güler also joined President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the NATO summit sessions and attended the president’s bilateral meetings with the leaders of France, Syria, Italy, Germany and the U.K.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday hailed a successful Ankara summit for laying the “foundation of a stronger NATO.”
He described it as a “historic” gathering that will help shape the alliance’s future at a time of heightened security challenges across the Euro-Atlantic region.
“We have successfully concluded our NATO summit, which we hosted in our country for the second time in 22 years and for the first time in our capital, Ankara,” Erdoğan said at a news conference following the conclusion of the summit.
He said the meeting came at a critical moment for Euro-Atlantic security and would have lasting significance for the alliance.
“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,” he said.
Erdoğan said Türkiye has had to contend with regional crises and terrorism for decades without benefiting from the post-Cold War “peace dividend” enjoyed by many European countries.
“There were times when we were left alone and treated unfairly. Therefore, we often had to rely on our own capabilities,” he said.
He noted that those efforts have enabled Türkiye to surpass many NATO allies in defense spending, military capabilities and the strength of its defense industry.
“Today, in terms of defense spending, military capabilities and the defense industry that underpins them, we are well ahead of many allies,” Erdoğan said.
The president added that NATO leaders reviewed the implementation of commitments made at last year’s summit in The Hague and reaffirmed Türkiye’s plans to further increase its contributions to the alliance.
Türkiye’s role in NATO
Highlighting Türkiye’s military role within NATO, Erdoğan said the country commands the alliance’s second-largest land force and has long served as the cornerstone of security on NATO’s southeastern flank.
“We currently command NATO’s second-largest land army. For decades, the security of NATO’s southeastern flank has largely been entrusted to our country,” he said.
He said Türkiye remains among the leading contributors to NATO operations, missions and common funding, adding that Turkish F-16 fighter jets will be deployed to Estonia beginning in August as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission.
Erdoğan also said Türkiye will continue leading the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) until September 2026 and is scheduled to command the NATO Response Force in 2028-2029.
Highlighting Türkiye’s defense industry, Erdoğan said the country is among the few NATO members capable of producing its own fighter aircraft, tanks, naval vessels and air defense systems.
He added that Türkiye has become a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicles, naval drones and warship production while also supplying defense products to allied nations.
Erdoğan reiterated that EU defense initiatives should complement NATO, rather than duplicate its efforts.
“The European Union’s defense initiatives must complement NATO and avoid unnecessary duplication. I draw the attention of our allies and the EU leadership to this important point at every opportunity and in every forum,” he said.
Erdoğan also renewed his call for the removal of remaining restrictions on defense trade among NATO allies.
“Although some obstacles to defense industry trade among allies have decreased, they still exist. These restrictions must be removed as soon as possible, without conditions,” he said.
The Crescent and Star compound, dubbed by the media as “Türkiye’s Pentagon,” was partially opened on the occasion of the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler hosted counterparts from NATO member states for a reception at the Star Section of the new headquarters, whose construction is still underway in other parts. The joint headquarters will bring together the land, air and naval force commands of the army, which were scattered in the past across the capital, although in close proximity.
“With its design inspired by the crescent and the star in Türkiye’s national flag, the Ay Yıldız Complex brings our entire defense and military command under one roof,” Güler said in his address at the reception, using the Turkish name of the complex.
“This new headquarters complex will be fully operational soon, and it will take its place among the largest military headquarters in the world. By bringing the General Staff and the Single Service Command headquarters together, we aim to increase our joint operation capability to the highest level and to gain maximum pace and efficiency through speeding up bureaucratic processes.
The security of the headquarters will be provided with top-level air and land defense measures within the context of the “Steel Dome” strategy and cutting-edge electronic safety systems,” he said.
Güler stated that the complex was equipped with smart and sustainable construction technologies to ensure uninterrupted communication, command and control under both crisis and conflict circumstances.
“Being more than just a modern headquarters facility, it stands as a physical symbol of Türkiye’s consolidated, agile and forward-looking defense posture. I am confident that this brand-new headquarters will be a place where the work will be carried out for the defense and security of both our country and the alliance as a whole,” the minister stated.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis avoided direct comment on the reinstatement of F-35 fighter jet sales to Türkiye by the U.S. but urged NATO to be sensitive to an “open threat of war.”
He was speaking on Wednesday right outside the Turkish president’s front door as he joined other leaders arriving for a key NATO summit. One day earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump, after a warm welcome from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, signaled that they would consider selling jets to Türkiye, seven years after a ban was imposed on the country. Trump has also pledged to lift the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions on Türkiye as he heaped praise on Erdoğan.
Mitsotakis, who held several talks in the past with Erdoğan for rapprochement between the two former foes, said the issue could be resolved through “good neighborly ties and cooperation” and expressed pleasure at visiting Ankara, adding that he favored improving relations between Türkiye and Greece. Yet, he also stated, “Sensitivities of all NATO allies should be taken into consideration against plans of Türkiye to expand its territorial waters.”
Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdictions remain a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing a domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to boost its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea, as its predecessor, the Ottomans, were, Türkiye in the past two decades has developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, promoting regional stability.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler hosted his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, and the three countries signed a new memorandum for amending the regulations to expand their joint Black Sea mission. The new memorandum involves missions to protect critical infrastructure as well.
The three countries are littoral to the Black Sea, which has become a minefield in both senses of the word after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022. Stray naval mines have threatened maritime security for the countries, while the risk later escalated into stray drones and drone attacks by both sides of the conflict targeting vessels, sometimes far from their shores.
The Turkish-Romanian-Bulgarian task force has neutralized more than 150 mines floating in the Black Sea, and most of the work was done by Türkiye, whose maritime trade was threatened by the conflict. The new memorandum means the expansion of the mission to protect energy infrastructure, telecoms and undersea pipelines operated or owned by the three countries. All three have gas exploration or production projects in the Black Sea. Romania looks to become the European Union’s largest gas producer through its Neptun Deep offshore gas project.
The Black Sea is home to Türkiye’s largest-ever natural gas reserve, which the country has been gradually discovering since 2020. The Sakarya gas field is estimated to contain 710 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas. It will meet approximately 30% of the nation’s annual gas needs once the production reaches total capacity. Last year, Türkiye announced a separate 75 bcm gas discovery in the Black Sea.
Güler met separately with Romanian Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruta and Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov in Ankara, and the three ministers later attended a working lunch with NATO defense ministers.
Also on Wednesday, Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Toiu praised the strong partnership with Türkiye in safeguarding security in the Black Sea.
The work carried out together by Romania, Bulgaria, Türkiye and Ukraine has, for example, made it possible to ensure the flow of grain in recent years, she told Anadolu Agency (AA) in an interview. She also noted the strong participation of Turkish companies in industrial infrastructure investment at the 2025 NATO Industry Forum held in Romania. Referring to her meetings with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, she said they consistently discuss Türkiye’s European perspective.
“The future we envision for Türkiye is focused on its European path,” she said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held closed-door talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the margins of the NATO summit held at the Presidential Complex on Wednesday.
No statements were made after the meeting that preceded an expected joint declaration at the end of the summit.
Macron, spotted jogging near his hotel on Wednesday morning before the summit began, sported sunglasses as he met Erdoğan, apparently due to an eye condition that also surfaced during his participation in the World Economic Forum in January. The French leader flew into Türkiye from neighboring Syria, where he signed key deals. Twin bomb attacks near his hotel did not disrupt the trip, and Macron joined other leaders in Ankara soon.
France is a founding member of NATO, though it remained detached from the military command of the alliance for decades. In 2019, Macron warned about the “brain death” of NATO, citing declining commitment by the main contributor, the United States. Back then, his remarks, uttered in an interview, were treated with skepticism by other members, but time proved Macron almost right as U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his complaints about what he termed a lack of contribution to the alliance by Europe, threatening to further distance his country from the bloc.
The publication of a joint declaration by NATO leaders at the end of the summit’s second day in Ankara has renewed attention on Türkiye’s expanding role in the alliance, with security experts pointing to Türkiye’s growing strategic weight within the alliance amid evolving internal and external threats.
“We have sharp differences across the Atlantic, there are two threats; one is external and the other is internal.” Edward P Joseph, a foreign policy lecturer and analyst at Johns Hopkins University, told Daily Sabah.
Türkiye hosted the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara on July 7-8, with leaders issuing a final declaration reaffirming their “unwavering commitment” to Article 5, the alliance’s collective defense clause, and to the transatlantic bond.
“Russia represents a threat. Iran also, we have to say, represents a threat,” Joseph said.
“An attack against one ally is an attack against all allies,” the declaration said, adding that NATO’s unity, solidarity and collective strength remain the foundation of peace, security and prosperity for 1 billion citizens across the alliance’s free and democratic nations.
The declaration reaffirmed allies’ “unwavering” support for Ukraine, saying the country continues to contribute to transatlantic security while defending its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It said European allies and Canada now provide the bulk of security assistance to Ukraine through bilateral and multilateral channels, stressing that such support must remain fair, predictable and sustainable over the long term. Allies pledged 70 billion euros (about $80 billion) in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine in 2026 and reaffirmed sovereign commitments to maintain at least the same level of support in 2027.
Addressing broader security challenges, the declaration said NATO would continue adapting to strategic competition, widespread instability, hybrid threats and recurring crises. It reiterated that Iran “must never develop a nuclear weapon” and called on Tehran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We also have ambivalence in the United States, this distancing from NATO. President Trump is complaining,” he said hoping that this summit is a reminder to the U.S. leader and all allies of how valuable NATO is.
“The alliance is valuable to Türkiye and it’s valuable to all 32,” he added.
The U.S. president previously criticized the financial burden Washington bears within NATO, arguing that the alliance’s cost-sharing remains unequal.
In a social media post, Trump shared a graphic comparing NATO defense spending by member states and said it was “ridiculous” for the United States to continue what he described as a one-sided relationship. “They were not there for us,” he wrote.
Türkiye’s key role
Turning to Türkiye’s key role in the alliance and its hosting the summit this year, Joseph underlined that the summit has elevated Türkiye’s role and it’s been like a showcase of the country because of the second-largest army in the alliance, and so that’s been very significant.
Türkiye currently contributes nearly 3,000 personnel, along with various weapons, vehicles and military platforms, to ongoing NATO missions, operations and initiatives.
This year, Türkiye joined NATO’s Steadfast Dart exercise in Germany from Feb. 12-24, held to improve the operational readiness of the Allied Reaction Force. The country contributed naval, land and air elements, including the Anadolu Task Group, and deployed a joint force of more than 2,000 personnel to Germany.
“And the summit itself, today is the summit so I want to wait and see what the outcome is. But the dynamics, everything I see and witness having engaged with some of the key officials, I think the dynamics are more positive than people anticipated,” he said.
Since joining NATO, Türkiye has steadily expanded its contributions to the alliance’s missions and operations, including in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Libya and Iraq. Turkish officials say the country has preserved and developed Cold War-era military capabilities while also fighting terrorism and responding to regional instability.
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