Turkey Praised as One of NATO's Strongest Military Powers

Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli highlighted Turkey’s strategic importance to NATO, emphasizing the country’s naval presence in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea and describing the Turkish armed forces as the "geopolitical backbone" of the alliance. He warned that earlier criticisms of Turkey’s actions at sea have faded and underscored the historic role of Turkish maritime power.

Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July, NATO senior official Mark Rutte called Turkey "extremely important" and said it "has one of the strongest armies of the Alliance, well‑equipped and highly trained, with a huge defence industry". Rutte noted Turkey’s rapid growth in domestic defence production, including unmanned aircraft, armoured vehicles, naval platforms and missile systems, positioning it as a key contributor to collective security.

Both statements stress Turkey’s expanding defence capabilities and its central role in NATO’s regional strategy.