admin NATO heads of state and government will meet in Ankara, Turkiye, on Tuesday, for a two-day summit of great importance amidst numerous regional crises and global challenges and transformations, particularly in the security and energy sectors.
Ankara is hosting the summit 22 years after the last one held on its soil in 2004. Turkiye occupies a strategic importance from geographical, political, and defense perspectives, as well as being a key transit corridor for energy supplies.
The summit is expected to discuss the alliance’s defense spending and the Russia-Ukraine crisis. It will reaffirm the commitment to the principle of collective defense and the bonds between member states, in addition to addressing the developments in the Middle East, global challenges related to security, freedom of navigation, energy supplies, and other regional and international issues.
The summit is also expected to highlight Turkiye’s prominent diplomatic role, its military contributions, the development of its defense industries, and its crisis management capabilities.
In this regard, Assistant Professor at Qatar University, Dr. Abdulla Banndar Al Etaibi, noted that Turkiye has emerged as one of the world’s leading producers of defense equipment, military technologies, and security and intelligence systems. He explained that the country’s defense budget reached approximately $22.8 billion in 2024, representing 2.09% of its GDP. When Turkiye meets NATO’s newly agreed 5% defense spending target, its defense budget would rise to around $70 billion, an increase of approximately $47 billion.
Al Etaibi added, in exclusive statements to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), that Turkiye’s hosting of the summit carries significant political and strategic weight. It confirms that Ankara remains an indispensable player within the alliance, despite the disagreements that have strained its relations with some Western countries in recent years.
He emphasized that Turkiye’s ability to play a crucial role in mediation efforts has given it added value within the alliance. This is because Turkiye can communicate with parties that other NATO members cannot easily reach. Furthermore, hosting the summit reflects the alliance’s recognition that European security is no longer separate from the security of the Middle East and the Black Sea.
For his part, Professor of Critical Security Studies at the Doha Institute Dr. Muhannad Salloum affirmed the significant role that Turkiye has come to occupy within NATO. He pointed out that Ankara is an indispensable ally, both geographically and militarily, for NATO, despite its disagreements with some members of the alliance.
For its part, the State of Qatar is keen to strengthen its relations with the NATO, as the two sides have distinguished relations within the framework of the “Istanbul Cooperation Initiative,” which the State of Qatar joined on February 16, 2005. This includes the exchange of visits and political consultations, and participation in the study and training courses provided by NATO in the scientific and military fields.
Relations between the State of Qatar and NATO witnessed significant development following the historic visit of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to NATO Headquarters in 2006, the first such visit by a head of state from a member country of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
In 2014, relations between the State of Qatar and NATO saw further progress, with the agreement to hold the NATO and Gulf Security Conference in Doha in December 2014 as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. Additionally, the NATO Conference on Weapons of Mass Destruction arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation was held in Qatar in March 2015.
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