Turkish interests must be considered at Ankara NATO summit: Ischinger
Munich Security Conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger said NATO must take Turkish interests into account at the July summit in Ankara, stressing the need for a strong message of “unity, determination and cohesion” to be sent from Türkiye.
The chairman of the Munich Security Conference said on Wednesday that Turkish interests must be given due consideration during NATO’s upcoming summit in Ankara this July, emphasizing the strategic importance of the host nation.
A strong message of unity needed
Speaking at a panel during the 10th Black Sea and Balkans Security Summit in Bucharest, Wolfgang Ischinger highlighted that Türkiye is hosting the summit and noted its proximity to what he described as one of the alliance’s two major security challenges: Iran. Ischinger said NATO countries must understand that it is essential for a strong message of “unity and determination and cohesion” to emerge from the Ankara summit. “The central question is: ‘Is the correct message going to be arriving in Moscow and correctly understood in Moscow?’ … This alliance is about security off and in Europe, and security in and off Europe depends to a significant extent on credible deterrence,” he said.
Türkiye must feel proud of its NATO role
Ischinger argued that the alliance would remain in good shape if it can repeat the positive performance of last year’s NATO summit in The Hague. He stressed that it is in the collective interest to ensure Türkiye is happy with the summit and draws the conclusion that it is a “proud member” of NATO. “So, in other words, let’s make sure that we take Turkish interests, in an appropriate manner, into account to make it a success for all of us, including the host country Türkiye. I think that is very important,” he added. He defined the current period as “one of fundamental changes,” citing the raising of defense spending commitments from 2% to 5% of GDP and the impact of technological advances on military balance.
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Symbolic significance of Ankara summit
Sorin Ducaru, honorary chairman of the New Strategy Center’s Scientific Council, said at the same panel that it is “highly symbolic” that the NATO summit is being held in Türkiye. He noted that Türkiye is not only on NATO’s eastern flank but also “radiates” to the south and the Middle East, bringing together all strategic interests. The Ankara NATO summit will take place on July 7-8, marking the second NATO summit held in Türkiye, following the 2004 Istanbul summit. Türkiye continues to play a pivotal role within the alliance, bridging Europe, the Black Sea, and the Middle East.
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