Erdoğan calls for lifting defence restrictions among NATO allies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday called for the removal of restrictions on defence cooperation among NATO allies. "Restrictions between allies regarding defence cooperation, particularly in the defence industry, should be lifted," Erdoğan said at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Ankara. He stressed that even as European allies assume greater responsibility for the continent's defence, they should avoid policies that could weaken NATO's unity or transatlantic ties.

Türkiye’s defence industry breakthrough

Highlighting Türkiye's growing defence sector, Erdoğan said the country's largest achievement in recent years has been its major defence industry advances. "Undoubtedly, our country's greatest success lies in the breakthrough we have achieved in the defence industry," he said, adding that Türkiye has become one of the world's top 10 countries in terms of defence production and export capacity. He reaffirmed Ankara's commitment to strengthening its contribution to NATO by increasing defence spending, saying Türkiye has taken measures to raise the ratio of its defence spending to the 3.5% level before 2030.

Steel Dome and Centre of Excellence

Erdoğan announced that Türkiye has earmarked an additional $24 billion for its Steel Dome air and missile defence project, saying the investment is aimed at strengthening one of NATO's most critical capability gaps. He also said Türkiye hopes to secure NATO accreditation for its planned Center of Excellence for Countering Unmanned Systems, citing the country's experience in successfully deploying UAVs on real battlefields. "I believe this center will bolster our capability to counter threats posed, in particular, by aerial and maritime drones," he added.