Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that his country has the largest ground army on the European continent, stressing Ankara's absolute keenness to put all its military capabilities at the service of NATO whenever the need and security conditions require.

In a speech delivered on Wednesday, during the opening of the main session of the 36th NATO summit held in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Erdogan explained that his country has achieved an unprecedented qualitative breakthrough in the field of defense industries, which enabled it to enter the list of the ten largest countries in the world in terms of military production and export capabilities, pointing out that Ankara will meet within three years all the 361 capacity targets allocated to it within the alliance before the promised dates.

Armament balances

The Turkish president announced that his country has taken all the necessary measures to raise its defense spending to 3.5 percent by 2030, with a target of reaching 5 percent before 2035, exceeding the timeline previously set at the Hague summit by five full years.

Erdogan revealed that Turkey has allocated a huge and additional financial budget of $24 billion for the "Steel Dome" defense system project, with the aim of developing and modernizing comprehensive air and missile defense capabilities, which he clearly indicated that the current NATO system suffers from a tangible and severe deficiency.

Restrictions and Conditions

At the political and diplomatic level within the corridors of the Alliance, the Turkish President stressed the great importance of removing all restrictions and obstacles imposed between allies in the field of defense cooperation and industrialization, considering it a necessary and decisive step to achieve the concept and goal of "NATO 3.0".

Erdogan warned of the consequences of excluding non-EU allies from the continent's security frameworks, stressing that such an approach would lead to the waste of limited resources and create an artificial division within Europe, and called on European allies to assume more direct responsibility in defending the continent without falling into the trap of unnecessary duplication with NATO's roles and transatlantic relations.

Regional Files

Regarding the hot files, the Turkish president expressed his deep appreciation for the firm position supported by US President Donald Trump to put the crisis with Iran on the path to resolution, announcing the readiness of the Turkish forces to provide the necessary technical contribution to clear the strategic Strait of Hormuz of naval mines.

On Ukraine, Erdogan reiterated his country's support for Kyiv and the "Priority Needs Lists" initiative while continuing to invest in open channels of communication with Russia to push it towards peace in line with Trump's vision.

The Turkish president concluded his speech by reaffirming the alliance's solidarity in the fight against terrorism, reiterating that the key to lasting peace in the Middle East lies in the two-state solution and ensuring calm and stability in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.