Turkish Defense Chief Says US Has No Plans to Leave NATO

NATO is adapting to the changing security environment, and the United States has no intention of leaving the Alliance, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said in an interview with Reuters ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara.

According to Güler, the meeting will focus on increasing allies' defense spending, strengthening the transatlantic defense industry, reaffirming the Alliance's unity and continuing support for Ukraine.

Güler emphasized that NATO remains the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security. He said the Alliance is not facing a crisis but is adapting to a changing security environment. He added that Washington does not intend to leave NATO but expects European allies and Canada to assume a greater share of responsibility for Europe's defense.

The minister also described Turkey's exclusion from some European defense initiatives as a strategic mistake. He said Ankara supports stronger European defense but expects greater openness to cooperation.

Turkey has committed to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Its priorities include investments in drones, air defense, missile systems, naval projects, unmanned technologies, and cyber capabilities. At the same time, Ankara is evaluating options to purchase Patriot or SAMP-T air defense systems.

(Reuters, bak)