President Erdoğan thanks Ankara residents for NATO Summit: He evaluated the summit
The detentions and increased strict security measures in Ankara prior to the NATO Summit were described by some as an unofficial state of emergency and met with criticism. Following the summit, a thank-you statement came from AKP Chairman and President Erdoğan.
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AKP Chairman and President Erdoğan released a statement on his social media account following the conclusion of the NATO Summit, expressing the following:
We have successfully concluded the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, which we hosted in Ankara.
In addition to the heads of state and government from 32 NATO member countries, nearly 100 ministers, high-level diplomats, representatives of international organizations, and invitees participated in the Summit held at the Presidential Complex.
A delicate balance was maintained between ensuring security at the highest level and protecting the rights and freedoms of our citizens during the summit process.
The security, transportation, coordination, and public order measures taken were meticulously planned to ensure the safety of leaders, the sustainability of city life, and the accurate informing of the international public, with particular importance placed on not disrupting the daily lives of our citizens.
Our Presidential National Library served as an international media center; a workspace for 1,800 people, 40 editing rooms, and numerous live broadcast points were made available to members of the press. More than 2,500 media members followed the Summit with record participation; the Ankara Summit was delivered to the entire world through broadcasts made from 96 cameras, 18 outside broadcast vehicles, and 26 different locations under the coordination of TRT.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to my fellow citizens in Ankara for the tolerance and unique hospitality they showed throughout the Summit, which also contributed greatly to the promotion of our city.
I express my gratitude on behalf of myself and my nation to all my brothers and sisters who worked selflessly to ensure the Summit was held without any problems, from our law enforcement agencies to those working in media, technical services, health, transportation, protocol, and catering services.
I especially thank Secretary General Mr. Mark Rutte for his cooperation-oriented approach and efforts in the preparation and execution of the NATO Ankara Summit.
With the decisions we took at the Summit, we once again demonstrated our will to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense capacity, consolidate the transatlantic bond, and build the future of the Alliance on the basis of a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO.
In the Ankara Summit Final Declaration, we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and the principle of collective defense.
The declaration also included priority topics for the Summit such as the removal of defense trade barriers between allies, new defense procurement agreements exceeding 50 billion dollars, the provision of military equipment, aid, and training support to Ukraine, as well as increasing defense industry capacity; and making the Alliance stronger and more prepared in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space, integrated air and missile defense, unmanned systems, and deep precision strike capabilities.
As Turkey, we will continue to provide the strongest contribution to this process with our experience, military capabilities, and developing defense industry infrastructure.
Turkey is not only a host country but a key ally that directly contributes to the Alliance's defense, diplomacy, and crisis-solving capacity.
We have expressed our will to increase our defense spending to the 3.5% level before 2030. We have already reached a 1.5% budget share in spending related to security and resilience.
We also stated that we have allocated an additional 24 billion dollars in budget for air and missile defense capabilities for the Steel Dome Project.
On this occasion, it should also be noted that while Turkey keeps communication channels open for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, it continues to advocate for restraint, diplomacy, and lasting peace in the Iran-US process, and for a ceasefire, stability, and a multilateral cooperation approach regarding Gaza, Lebanon, and Libya.
The two-day intensive Ankara Summit has shown that Turkey is a central actor that directs NATO's security agenda, keeps dialogue channels open during crises, maintains a regional peace perspective, and provides concrete contributions to the transformation of the Alliance with its defense industry capacity.
As Turkey, we will continue with determination to strengthen our cooperation with our allies and contribute to global peace and security.