Dutch defense chief says Türkiye's NATO role to grow as US scales back

Dutch Chief of Defense Gen. Onno Eichelsheim said Sunday that Türkiye's role within NATO will grow as the United States scales back military capabilities in Europe, adding that Ankara's defense industry could help fill emerging capability gaps.

Summit priorities

Speaking to Anadolu in Ankara ahead of Monday's NATO Summit, Eichelsheim stressed that the alliance must first demonstrate unity and determination. "I think the summit should first show our determination as an alliance and that we are still together," he said, adding that leaders must also prove the 3.5 percent spending target agreed last year is being implemented. He identified a third priority as identifying paths to peace in both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran-Israel-US conflict, calling both issues "extremely important for stability."

US withdrawal and European responsibility

Eichelsheim said European countries should assume greater responsibility as the US withdraws some capabilities, though he emphasized that NATO would continue to need Washington. "We need the US within the alliance," he said, adding that Europeans cannot do everything alone but must take on greater responsibility. He described this shift as a "historic moment" for the alliance, noting that Europe has the capacity to fill the gaps but requires time to develop its defense industry to meet new targets.

Türkiye's strategic role

Highlighting Ankara's strategic position, Eichelsheim said Türkiye serves as the guardian of NATO's southeastern flank and possesses the alliance's second-largest armed forces. "As the US withdraws some capabilities, we will also need Türkiye to help fill those gaps," he said, adding that "Türkiye's role within NATO will become even greater." The Dutch chief noted that Ankara has shown willingness to assume this expanded role not only in its own region but across the alliance, citing productive meetings on increasing joint exercises and exchanging lessons from the war in Ukraine.

Defense industry potential

Eichelsheim said he was "truly impressed" by Turkish defense companies during visits in Ankara, seeing strong potential for bilateral cooperation. "I believe there are significant opportunities for cooperation in this field as well," he said, contrasting Turkish capabilities with the European industry which he said still has steps to take. He outlined a vision of "NATO 3.0" requiring resilient societies and defense industries capable of rapidly responding to wartime needs, including investment in low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles and interceptor systems alongside expensive advanced platforms.