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Türkiye hosted the NATO multi-domain operations conference in Ankara this week, with senior officials highlighting the country's transformation into a major defense exporter and its strategic contributions to the alliance.
Chief of General Staff General Metin Gurak and the Presidency of Defense Industry's head President Haluk Gorgun addressed the two-day conference, emphasizing Türkiye's growing role in NATO operations and defense technology development.
Gorgun announced that Türkiye has become the world's 11th largest defense exporter, with 75% of Turkish-produced systems now used by NATO forces.
"Today, I am proud to state that the Turkish defense industry is the world's 11th largest exporter and that approximately 75% of the systems we produce, together with deliveries to the Turkish Armed Forces, are used by NATO forces," Gorgun said during his conference address.
In 2024, Türkiye's defense and aviation exports reached $7 billion, with 55.4% of this total delivered to NATO allies and Ukraine. Among the top 20 recipient countries, 10 were NATO members plus Ukraine, demonstrating Türkiye's role as a reliable strategic partner.
Gorgun highlighted Türkiye's leadership in advanced unmanned systems development and deployment, citing the proven effectiveness of platforms including Bayraktar TB2, Akinci, Anka, and Aksungur in various operational environments.
"These platforms have proven their effectiveness in real-time reconnaissance-surveillance, precision strikes, and battlefield resilience across various operational areas. These platforms are designed to be integrated with NATO command-control structures," he stated.
The official noted that Kizilelma and Anka-3 systems will enter service soon, while describing the recent Denizkurdu Exercise as a turning point where two TB3 drones simultaneously took off from a ship and struck a single target with precision.
Chief of General Staff General Gurak outlined Türkiye's comprehensive defense transformation, emphasizing the country's strategic geographic position and operational experience.
"Our country has achieved a very important transformation technologically through investments made in recent years, visionary projects, and strong will. While meeting its own defense needs, it has become a country that exports defense and security systems to many countries, including NATO allies," Gurak said.
He highlighted Türkiye's geographic significance for NATO's southern flank security and global threat prevention, noting successful cross-border operations against terrorism that strengthen NATO's collective defense capabilities.
Gurak described how the Turkish Armed Forces have developed multi-domain operations capabilities through real-world experience in operations including Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring, and the Claw Series against the PKK and Daesh terrorist organizations.
"These operations constitute examples of modern military doctrines where land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains are used in an integrated manner," he explained.
The effective use of unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare capabilities, satellite imagery utilization, intelligence sharing, and cybersecurity measures in these operations provided concrete examples of multi-domain operations understanding for NATO.
The NATO multi-domain operations conference, held May 21-22 with the theme "Exploring the Future of Combat: The Role of multi-domain operations in Shaping the Operational Environment," brought together representatives from NATO allied countries and strategic operational commands.
General Gurak noted that the global security environment has become more complex and unpredictable than ever, with simultaneously developing technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonics, nanotechnology, and robotics creating fundamental changes in warfare characteristics.
Gorgun addressed alliance cooperation while expressing concerns about restrictive measures, stating that sanctions against loyal members are incompatible with the alliance spirit.
"Sanctions against a loyal member are incompatible with the alliance spirit. We hope for constructive dialogue for harmony," he said, emphasizing that no country can overcome multi-domain operation challenges alone.
Head of Presidency of Defense Industry highlighted Türkiye's readiness to deepen cooperation with NATO through field-proven technologies, not just political alignment.
Officials emphasized Türkiye's progress in unmanned land, sea, and air vehicles, armored land vehicles, naval and air platforms, missile systems, cybersecurity, and electronic warfare capabilities.
The Defense Industry Presidency currently manages over 1,100 active procurement and R&D programs, making it one of the world's largest defense industry program management authorities in terms of portfolio size and diversity.
Gorgun noted that advanced aircraft, including Hurkus (basic trainer), Hurjet (advanced jet trainer), and KAAN (fighter aircraft), represent the most modern examples of their classes, equipped with indigenous radar, avionics systems, and smart ammunition.
The NATO Allied Transformation Command organizes the annual multi-domain operations conference, with the first held in the United Kingdom in 2022, the second in Denmark in 2023, and the third now hosted by Türkiye in 2025.
Participants included Gurak, Gorgun, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) Admiral Pierre Vandier, and representatives from NATO allied countries and strategic operational commands.
The conference addressed NATO and Allied perspectives on multi-domain operations, enhancing command and control effectiveness in real-time decision-making, designing and implementing multi-domain operation capabilities, developing military training for new-generation warriors, and incorporating multi-domain operation practices into NATO and Allied exercises.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte issued stark warnings about the need to increase defense spending beyond current levels, emphasizing the alliance faces serious challenges in the coming years.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte addressed concerns about future deterrence capabilities.
"If we keep our defense spending at 2%, we can defend ourselves now. If Vladimir Putin attacks us, our response would be devastating. My concern is 3 to 5 years from now. Some say 7 years. But at least in the foreseeable future, if we don't spend more on defense, we're really in trouble," Rutte said.
The NATO chief warned against the misconception that threats are limited to countries bordering Russia, such as Estonia and Poland, citing advances in Russian missile technology.
"With Russia's latest missile technology, this is no longer the case. The difference between an attack on Poland and an attack on Rotterdam is five minutes. So we are all now on NATO's eastern flank, not just those on the eastern flank on the map," Rutte stated.
Prime Minister Schoof announced that the Netherlands will host a NATO summit from June 23-25, marking the first time the country has hosted such an event since the alliance's founding.
Schoof emphasized that defense spending and production increases will be the main agenda items, noting Russia's transformation into a war economy.
"Russia is now a war economy. That's why we cannot afford for the European defense industry to fall behind," Schoof said.
The Dutch leader announced plans to bring together public authorities, companies, and defense sector experts during the summit to discuss how to provide necessary support for NATO factories to operate at full capacity and produce more materials through innovative methods.
Schoof thanked former Dutch Prime Minister Rutte for his diplomatic efforts in making the summit possible, stating that as the host country, they are working to bring all allies together on common ground.
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