Newsletters
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus on Monday criticized NATO allies that have imposed defense industry restrictions on Türkiye, calling the embargoes a betrayal of alliance principles.
Speaking at the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul, Kurtulmus called the restrictions "unilateral" and "meaningless" and urged all member states to match Türkiye's readiness to cooperate on defense industry matters.
"Within the framework of this alliance membership, it is evident that the embargoes imposed by some members, particularly in the field of defense industry, are entirely unilateral, meaningless and far removed from the spirit of the alliance," Kurtulmus said.
"As Türkiye, while we are ready for cooperation in the defense industry with all member countries, we hope the same approach will be demonstrated by all countries," he added.
He specifically thanked allies for supporting Türkiye's air defense capabilities.
"I would particularly like to thank our member countries, especially Spain, for the support they have given to Türkiye's air defense system in the face of growing threats in the Middle East," Kurtulmus said.
Kurtulmus framed the embargo criticism within a broader call for collective responsibility.
"NATO and world history are at a turning point. We must now have a responsibility not only to work together and ensure the security of member states, but also to contribute to world peace," he said.
"Let us all work together for a fair and equitable world system," the Turkish official noted.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly Summit in Istanbul brought together parliamentary speakers and delegation heads from 32 allied countries, along with NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) President Marcos Perestrello, members of the NATO PA Presidential Committee, and other senior representatives.
Kurtulmus noted the gathering was the third such summit, calling it now an established tradition, and said it would be followed by the Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
Opening his remarks by describing Istanbul as a historic capital where cultures, civilizations and people of different faiths have long lived side by side, Kurtulmus said the current period represents one of humanity's most difficult and consequential turning points, with global power balances and technology shifting rapidly amid intense conflict, tension and war.
"This issue should not be addressed through security alone. It is evident that in resolving the problems faced by NATO, particularly those faced by Europe, military capacity alone is not sufficient, weapons alone will not be sufficient," he said.
"While NATO increases its defense capacity and strengthens solidarity among member states, we need to focus on how conflicts around the world can be resolved and what peaceful solutions can address the security concerns that affect us," Kurtulmus said.
Turkish parliament's speaker also said the current period has made diplomacy and mutual negotiation more vital than ever, noting, "Türkiye is also building its own foreign policy with this understanding. We will take our firmest stance against aggressors, oppressors and violators of international law. We will use our ability to resolve even the most difficult problems at the negotiating table."
He pointed to Türkiye's role in Russia-Ukraine diplomacy by saying, "Türkiye has supported Ukraine's sovereignty to the fullest and continues to do so. We made great efforts to bring about peace negotiations between both sides. The Russian and Ukrainian sides came together at the Presidential Office. At that time, peace could not be achieved because some countries did not want peace"
"We hope that this war can be brought to an end while fully respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereign rights," he added.
He cited the Black Sea grain corridor as one tangible success from those efforts.
"Among these negotiations, some successes were also achieved. One of them is keeping the Black Sea grain corridor open. This prevented famine from emerging internationally, particularly in Africa. In this way, the world was saved from a major catastrophe," Kurtulmus said.
The Turkish official also pointed to the U.S.-Iran agreement as a positive step.
"One of these positive examples is that a positive step has been taken to end the war between America and Iran. We hope that the negotiations in Switzerland continue positively and that a lasting and just peace is achieved. This is extremely important for world peace," he said.
He turned to Gaza as a central threat to global peace.
"One of the important issues threatening world peace is the developments in Palestine. Israel's aggression, which disregards all international legal norms and has reached the level of genocide, must be brought to an end," he said.
"This is not only about humanitarian tragedies, nearly 100,000 civilian deaths, or the erasure of Gaza from the map, it is about the elimination of humanity's hopes for the future. We hope that a final resolution can be reached on the Palestinian issue and that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state becomes possible," Kurtulmus noted.
He linked Middle East peace directly to global stability.
"Ending Israel's aggression means guaranteeing world peace. There can be no world peace without peace in the Middle East. We desire that NATO countries provide the necessary support for this peace," Kurtulmus said.
He added that strengthening Türkiye's national defense capacity and defense cooperation among NATO members remains highly important for both member states and the alliance as a whole.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
