Newsletters
Dutch Chief of Defense Onno Eichelsheim said Türkiye's role in NATO will grow as the U.S. withdraws some military capabilities and European allies take on greater responsibility within the alliance.
Speaking to Anadolu during a visit to Ankara ahead of the July 7-8 NATO Summit, Eichelsheim said Türkiye would be needed to help address capability gaps left by Washington.
"As the U.S. withdraws some of its capabilities, we will also need Türkiye to meet these shortfalls. That is why Türkiye's role within NATO will grow even further," he said.
Eichelsheim also said he was impressed by the level reached by Türkiye's defense industry and saw major cooperation opportunities between the two countries.
"I spent a day in Türkiye with Türkiye's defense industry companies, and I was truly impressed by the level of capability they demonstrated," he said.
The NATO summit, to be held in Ankara on July 7 and 8, will focus on steps taken regarding the decision to increase defense investments and the alliance's deterrence and defense efforts, Türkiye's Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said Sunday.
Duran said leaders are expected to discuss Euro-Atlantic threats, risks and challenges at a strategic level.
As part of the summit, Türkiye's first lady Emine Erdogan will host visiting heads of state and government and their spouses at a reception and dinner at the Presidential Complex on July 7.
The North Atlantic Council will convene on July 8, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the level of allied heads of state and government. Erdogan will also hold bilateral meetings with participating leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
Eichelsheim said the Ankara summit would mark several turning points for NATO, especially in implementing the 3.5% defense spending commitment agreed in The Hague.
"The most important element that should come out of this summit is that we fulfill the 3.5% commitment we made in The Hague," he said, adding that the meeting should provide more clarity on next steps.
He said the Netherlands had prepared a white paper showing its willingness to meet NATO's 5% defense spending target.
Eichelsheim said another major issue was Europe's need to cover the capabilities the U.S. is withdrawing from the alliance.
"From this perspective, it can be seen as a historic moment that Europeans are really beginning to take on more responsibility within the alliance," he said.
Eichelsheim said NATO still needs the U.S., but European allies must do more.
"We need the U.S. within the alliance. I do not think it would be right for Europeans to try to do everything alone," he said. "But we need to take on more responsibility."
He said Europe has the capacity to fill the gaps created by the U.S. pullback, but that more time and stronger defense industries are needed.
"We see that Türkiye has an industry capable of meeting these needs. The European defense industry still has some steps to take to reach this level," he said.
Eichelsheim said Türkiye has always played an important role in NATO because of its geographical position and its role on the alliance's southeastern flank.
"Türkiye has the second-largest armed forces in the alliance," he said. "As the U.S. withdraws some capabilities, we will also need Türkiye to meet these shortfalls."
He said Türkiye's role would become more important not only in its own region but also in other NATO regions.
Asked about NATO's new vision, Eichelsheim said "NATO 3.0" means building resilient societies and defense industries that can respond quickly when war begins.
He said NATO must also invest not only in expensive advanced systems but also in low-cost capabilities, including light unmanned aerial vehicles and low-cost interceptor systems.
Eichelsheim said his bilateral talks in Ankara were productive. He said Türkiye and the Netherlands aim to increase joint exercises, share lessons learned from Ukraine, prepare their militaries for future wars, use defense academies more effectively and improve interoperability.
He also said the Ankara summit should show NATO's unity, implementation of the 3.5% target, and ideally a path toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine war and a solution for the Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
