Turkey pushes defense spending and autonomy at NATO summit

At the 36th NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey will raise its defence budget share to 3.5 % of GDP by 2030, having already reached 1.5 %. He highlighted that Turkey’s defence industry now ranks among the world’s top ten exporters and praised the operational use of Turkish drones and the planned accreditation of an Unmanned‑Systems Counter‑Measures Centre with NATO.

Economist Hakan Topkurulu warned that NATO’s “3.0” process will test Turkey’s ability to shape its own production priorities rather than simply following European demand, noting that the alliance sees Turkey as a potential conventional arms supplier. Businessman Mehmet Bozkuş described the summit as a turning point that showcases Turkey’s elevated diplomatic weight, saying the country is now a global actor consulted on international crises.

First Lady Emine Erdoğan hosted the spouses of visiting leaders in a dinner where singer Ajda Pekkan performed, underscoring the summit’s broader diplomatic outreach.