Hakan Fidan's striking statement before the NATO Summit: 'The hardest part was convincing Trump'

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made comprehensive statements regarding the future of NATO, European security, and Turkey's role within the alliance at an event titled "European Security After the Ankara Summit: Strengthening cooperation among NATO allies across Europe," held in Ankara in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Center for Strategic Research (SAM) and Chatham House.

According to information obtained from diplomatic sources, Fidan stated that the most important issue in the preparation process for the upcoming NATO Summit was ensuring the participation of US President Donald Trump in the summit.

"THE HARDEST PART WAS CONVINCING TRUMP"

Fidan stated that the biggest obstacle in the summit process was ensuring Donald Trump's participation in the meeting, and that after this stage was successfully completed, the most challenging process was left behind.

Stating that there are occasional disagreements between the US and Europe, Fidan expressed that he does not expect these differences to turn into a crisis that cannot be managed at the NATO Summit.

Underlining that Trump's participation in the summit is important for the healthy management of potential disputes, Fidan stated that he does not foresee an atmosphere at the summit where mutual accusations between Europe and the US will come to the fore.

"NATO SHOULD NOT BE A STRUCTURE THAT ONLY RESPONDS TO CRISES"

Minister Fidan stated that in the coming period, NATO should not act as an alliance that only reacts to existing threats.

Pointing to the importance of the alliance developing a long-term, comprehensive, and strategic security understanding, Fidan said that building strategic capacity should become a priority goal in the new era.

EMPHASIS ON TURKEY'S ROLE IN EUROPEAN SECURITY

Stating that European security cannot be evaluated solely within the framework of the European Union, Fidan expressed that there is a need for a broader security approach.

Emphasizing that Turkey is in a central position in this process, Fidan noted that Ankara continues its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the same time, he stated that keeping diplomatic contacts and dialogue channels with Russia open is also important for European security.

CALL FOR INCLUSIVE COOPERATION IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY

Stating that partnerships in the field of the defense industry should not be planned solely based on the European Union, Fidan said that countries with strong defense infrastructures like Turkey and the UK are among the natural and indispensable partners in Europe's defense cooperation.

Expressing that Europe should not view the US calls for burden-sharing in defense as pressure or a threat, Fidan stated that it is inevitable for the continent to take on more responsibility in the field of security.

He added that strengthening Europe's defense capacity is important both for the future of NATO and for the strategic resilience of the continent.

"THE STAGE IS SET IN ANKARA"

In a post on his social media account before the NATO Summit, Fidan also stated that Ankara is ready to host the critical summit.

Expressing that Turkey will host NATO members under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Fidan emphasized that the decisions to be taken in Ankara will not only produce solutions to current security problems but will also be decisive in shaping the Euro-Atlantic security architecture in the coming years.

"THREATS ARE FASTER AND MORE COMPLEX"

Stating that collective defense continues to be the fundamental principle of NATO, Fidan expressed that, however, the security environment has changed significantly.

Stating that today's threats are multidimensional, faster-developing, and have a more complex structure, Fidan said that the classical security understanding is insufficient to meet this new picture.

Expressing that the determining factors in the new era will be deployable military capabilities, defense industry production capacity, and operational readiness levels, Fidan stated that it has become a necessity for Europe to make a stronger contribution to defense.

"OBSTACLES HAVE TURNED INTO A STRATEGIC BURDEN"

Stating that practices that limit cooperation in the defense industry reduce efficiency and slow down the response to crises, Fidan expressed that these obstacles now constitute a strategic burden.

Emphasizing that defense initiatives to be developed in Europe should cover all NATO allies, Fidan said that the real issue is not just how to respond to threats, but to create a new cooperation model suitable for changing security conditions.

News Source: 12punto