Ahead of next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted Turkey’s military strength and strategic importance to the alliance, while welcoming an agreement to bring an end to hostilities in the Middle East.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan said that Turkey possesses NATO’s second-largest land army and said the country would continue to play a leading role within the alliance.
“As Turkey, we will continue to play a dominant role in the alliance with our comprehensive military capabilities, our extremely dynamic defense industry, our strategic geographical location, as well as our historical and cultural depth,” he said.
Erdogan also said Turkey was among the countries most actively supporting NATO peacekeeping missions worldwide and described the upcoming summit as a potential “turning point that will shape the future of NATO’s security architecture.”
Turning to regional developments, he welcomed the agreement reached on the Iran crisis, saying the war had claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, including children.
