After years of consistent growth of its defense industry, Ankara hopes that hosting a historic NATO summit would cement its rise as a key European security partner, building on the rapid momentum despite earlier reluctance from some partners.
The two-day summit opens on Tuesday with the Defence Industry Forum – once a sideline event, now formally part of the program – at which some 3,500 companies will be showcasing the best of Türkiye's burgeoning defense technologies.
"It is inconceivable to establish European security without Türkiye," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said while pushing for Türkiye's inclusion in all of Europe's defense and security structures, notably the European Union's 150-billion-euro ($176-billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program.
Türkiye boasts NATO's second-biggest army after the U.S., with 355,000 troops and another 378,000 reservists, with its defense industry notably booming over the past decade.
But its desire to switch from supplier to a strategic partner has been held in some cases.