All eyes in the international community are on Ankara today, as the 36th NATO Leaders’ Summit begins, hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The summit is being held at the Presidential Complex in Ankara and will last two days. U.S. President Donald Trump will attend, along with leaders of NATO member states and invited countries.

According to Turkish media, Ankara describes the summit as one of the most important in NATO’s history, as it is expected to implement the decisions made last year at the Hague Summit.

The focus will be on increasing defense spending, strengthening the defense industry, implementing NATO’s new Force Model, continuing support for Ukraine, as well as the new security responsibilities Europe is called upon to assume.

According to media reports, the Turkish side is presenting the Ankara Summit as the starting point of the “NATO 3.0” era, that is, a new phase for the Alliance, following the Cold War era and the period of out-of-area operations, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Particular importance is also attached to the historical symbolism, as Turkey is once again hosting a NATO summit after 22 years. The previous summit was the 2004 Istanbul Summit, which marked NATO’s transition to a new model for crises and operations outside the Euro-Atlantic region.

For Ankara, this year’s summit is considered crucial for strengthening Turkey’s role within the Alliance. The Turkish government seeks to highlight the country’s geostrategic importance, its contribution to NATO’s defense, and the development of the Turkish defense industry.

At the top of the agenda is the allies’ commitment to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated in Ankara that he expects member countries to present “clear, concrete, and credible plans” to achieve this goal.

Rutte also announced that at the NATO Defense Industry Forum, held as part of the Summit, new contracts worth tens of billions of dollars for critical equipment related to the Alliance’s deterrence and defense will be presented.

Continued support for Ukraine will also be on the table, with an emphasis on its air defense needs. Rutte has called on all allies to shoulder their fair share of the burden, while he has identified China, North Korea, and Iran as Russia’s key supporters in the war against Ukraine.

The summit is taking place at a time when Europe appears particularly concerned about its own security, while the question of the U.S.’s long-term role in European defense remains open. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated that “every summit is said to be historic, but this time it truly is.”

Draconian security measures have been put in place in Ankara, as the Presidential Complex will host leaders, thousands of diplomats, high-ranking officials, and guests.

Source: KYPE