NATO undergoes adaptation to new security reality, Turkish minister says

The current state of NATO amid concerns over potential US withdrawal from the alliance should be viewed not as a crisis but as an adaptation to a changing security environment, Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler told Reuters in an interview.

“NATO ⁠continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defence. We evaluate the period we are going through not as a crisis, but ​as a process of adjusting to the changing security environment,” Güler said.

According to him, Washington has no intention of leaving NATO, but expects European allies and Canada to take on greater responsibility. He added that efforts to develop a “roadmap” to strengthen the alliance’s “European pillar” are expected to intensify at a NATO summit in Ankara.

Güler also stressed the strategic importance of the transatlantic link, stating that nuclear-sharing mechanisms and the US role in extended deterrence remain “fundamentally important” for NATO security.

He told Reuters that while Ankara generally welcomed European moves to reinforce defence and security, the initiatives fell short in terms of inclusivity and would therefore not be fully effective.

"We believe excluding such an important capacity (Turkey) from Europe's defence ​initiatives is a strategically inaccurate approach," the minister ​said, adding that Ankara expected ⁠Europe to adopt a "visionary approach" and embrace cooperation with Türkiye.

Additionally, the minister noted that Türkiye remains committed to the goal of increasing NATO members’ defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 and aims to meet all targets by 2029.

By Jeyhun Aghazada