DW for Ankara summit: Turkey aims to strengthen its NATO influence

Security measures have been raised to the highest level. The movement of heavy trucks and construction machines, as well as public demonstrations and gatherings, has been banned. Anything that could hurt the city's image is being removed. The stray dogs are leaving, the beggars are leaving the streets. On roads that international citizens will cross, defence fences have been set up to block the view from Ankara's poor neighbourhood.

Bad news is also coming for academics, lawyers, politicians, environmental activists, teachers and pensioners who were arrested on charges of terrorism before the summit. Many will remain in custody at the moment. By the end of the summit on July 10th, Ankara will be in virtually an extraordinary situation.

For the Turkish government, summit NATO, which will be held on July 7th and 8th, is of enormous importance. Ankara wants to seize this opportunity to further highlight its strategic role within the Alliance. In an increasingly uncertain world, Turkey no longer views itself as a NATO southeastern-wing guard, but as a country that wants to participate actively in shaping key security issues, reports Deutsche WellePeriscope broadcast.

Such appreciation is shared by the superior leaders of the world NATO- S. In an interview with Turkish state television, Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Turkey's strong and well-trained military, as well as the country's fast-growing defence industry.

Ankara wants to be in NATO centre

Since NATO membership in 1952, Turkey has been one of the key pillars of NATO collective defence. In recent years, it has also tried to affirm itself as mediators in international crises, such as the war in Ukraine and Iran. Ankara wants to show it is a necessary actor whose importance far exceeds its geographic location.

An additional boost is uncertainty about the future role of the United States. Frequent discussions in many NATO member states about US security guarantees for Europe have sparked a debate about greater European autonomy in the field of defence.

Ankara sees this as an opportunity to further boost its political influence within the Alliance. Tensions between the US and European allies, as well as discussions about greater autonomy of European defence, are being monitored carefully in Ankara. If Europe develops its identity of security and defence, Turkey believes it should not compete with NATO, but rather complete it.

At the same time, it warns that relevant European allies ʹ countries that are not members of the European Union should not be excluded from such a model. This applies mainly to Turkey, Great Britain and Norway.

Why is Turkey important for NATO?

Turkey joined NATO during the Cold War. The partnership was strategically useful for both sides. The alliance won an important ally in the southern suburb of the Soviet Union, while Ankara won security guarantees from NATO.

Turkey has a special geopolitical position. It is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and is limited to certain crisis areas. That's why it's of great importance to NATO not only in military terms but also in terms of energy, economy and security, the former Deputy Secretary General believes NATO, Hüseyin Diriöz. That is why its importance remains indisputable.

Turkey has another important strategic advantage. As a coastal state, based on the Montreux Convention, regarding the Strait regime, it controls the straits between the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, which provided it with an important instrument for maintaining military balance in this region (this is an international agreement signed in 1936 that gave Turkey control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles and regulated the passage of combat and commercial ships through these straits, the editor's note).

The Defence Industry as a Large asset

The government in Ankara and Turkish President Erdogan plan to increase defence spending to five per cent of the gross domestic product by the end of 2030. Turkey already has the second largest army in NATO, after the United States.

According to the International Peace Research Institute in Stockholm, Turkish military spending last year increased by 7.2 per cent to more than 30 billion dollars, placing the country 18th in the world.

One of Ankara's main goals is to further stress its defence industry skills. Analysts believe NATO will depend not only on the size of its armed forces in the future, but also on production capacities, technological innovations and safe supply chains.

In this context, the defence industry forum, which in previous years was a side event, will be included in the official NATO summit programme for the first time. Several agreements between member states are expected to be signed.

Summit NATO also stresses Turkey's importance in this area. Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed that Turkey, with about 3,000 companies operating in the defence industry sector, is one of the main players in the Alliance.

NATO Must Have Larger Security Meaning

Ankara wants to expand its own security understanding within NATO at the upcoming summit. The Turkish government believes the Alliance must more strongly include the challenges coming from South and Eastern Europe, the Black Sea region and the Middle East in its strategic planning.

Therefore, Turkey supports the revival of the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ICI), launched in 2004. The aim of this programme is to strengthen security co-operation with Middle East countries. The members of the initiative are Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Ankara places great importance on this initiative and supports a more intense NATO co-operation with its southern neighbours.

For Turkish leadership, summit NATO represents much more than a major diplomatic event. Authorities in Ankara see it as an opportunity to further confirm Turkey's strategic importance as a military power, a mediator in international crises and a necessary partner in one of NATO's most sensitive geostrategic areas.