Turkey’s Erdogan pushes constitutional change and NATO inclusion ahead of July summit

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to seek another term despite the Turkish constitution limiting presidents to two consecutive mandates. Party officials say an early election could be called before the scheduled 2028 vote, and a legal committee has drafted amendments that would allow Erdogan to run again.

At the same time, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler told Reuters that NATO is not in crisis but adapting, emphasizing Turkey’s role as the alliance’s second‑largest army and its growing defence industry. He called for greater burden‑sharing and warned against excluding Turkey from European defence initiatives.

A week before the NATO summit in Ankara on 7‑8 July, Erdogan addressed NATO delegates, urging full inclusion of Turkey in European defence and security structures and the removal of trade barriers. He highlighted the need for a fair distribution of responsibilities among allies, even as Greece threatens to block Turkey’s participation in certain EU defence projects.