U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Türkiye’s defense industry should serve as a model for allied countries ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Ankara.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Whitaker praised Türkiye’s defense production capacity, saying NATO allies should learn from Ankara’s industrial base.
“We need all of our allies to be more like Türkiye,” Whitaker said. “For example, having an industrial base that can produce 50 ships at the same time. Türkiye is doing exactly that right now in its shipyards.”
Whitaker said he visited Türkiye about a month ago, traveling to Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara and Incirlik Air Base in Adana to review preparations for the summit.
Describing Türkiye as an “incredibly capable ally,” Whitaker said Ankara is “seriously committed to the NATO alliance, as well as to its own security and the security of its allies.”
