Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli said Tuesday that Türkiye is poised to play a leading role in shaping NATO's future as the alliance prepares to hold its leaders' summit in Ankara next week, highlighting the country's strategic military position and expanding defense capabilities.
Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting, Bahçeli described Türkiye as the "geopolitical backbone" of NATO's southeastern flank and said the alliance's evolving security architecture cannot be built without Ankara's participation.
"The NATO summit to be held in Ankara will enable Türkiye to bring together the alliance's past, present and future, and assume a leading role in reshaping its future," Bahçeli said.
The July 7-8 summit will bring together leaders of NATO's 32 member states along with invited partners. It will be the first NATO leaders' summit hosted by Türkiye.
Bahçeli argued that the Turkish military has long been central to the alliance's regional security posture, citing the country's control of the Turkish Straits under the 1936 Montreux Convention, its military presence in the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, and strategic bases including Aksaz and Incirlik.
