Oliver Towfigh Nia
04 July 2026•Update: 04 July 2026
- Upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will focus 'on continued military aid for Ukraine and an assessment of defense spending and its increase'
Türkiye is of vital importance to NATO’s security and is also playing a growing role as a stable regional anchor, a former top German general said on Friday ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara.
"Türkiye is the solid cornerstone of the Alliance’s defense in the southeast and a Black Sea power; the Black Sea will once again take on increasing importance in the future, just as the Baltic Sea does today. Furthermore, Türkiye is the guardian of the straits and also has formidable armed forces," retired Brig. Gen. Dr. Klaus Wittmann told Anadolu.
It may "very well be" that Türkiye will play an even greater role when it comes to protecting NATO's southeastern flank, he added, pointing to Ankara’s role as a stability anchor in the region amid the latest conflict between the US and Iran.
Meanwhile, Wittmann pointed out that the Western military alliance had never been as powerful as it is now.
“NATO is stronger than ever. First, because of Sweden and Finland’s accession — which, after all, was brought about by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. Second, because of the sharp increase in defense spending and defense planning. And finally, because of the broad consensus on the need to thwart Russia’s objectives in Ukraine,” he said.
Wittmann downplays US threats to leave NATO
The former general said it was not very likely that the US would leave the Western military pact.
“I think the likelihood that the US will leave NATO is low. That’s very unlikely, because President Trump couldn’t pull that off without Congress, but he can, of course, undermine and weaken NATO,” he said.
“The main problem is that the American leadership is, to some extent, calling NATO into question, and, of course, for all of us, time has become a matter of life and death, and the increased defense funding must be translated into capabilities as quickly as possible,” said the former director of academic planning and policy at the NATO Defense College in Rome.
“The European pillar of NATO can only be strengthened if Europeans build up, as quickly as possible, the forces needed to implement defense plans and to replace US troops that are being drawn down, and if Europeans increasingly acquire the capabilities that have so far been primarily held by the US — combat aircraft, satellite reconnaissance, air defense, aerial refueling, etc. And that is not impossible," he added.
Wittmann noted that while NATO had overcome “many crises in its history, its adaptability is its greatest strength.”
NATO summit to focus on defense spending and Ukraine
The former German general said the main focus of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will be “on continued military aid for Ukraine and an assessment of defense spending and its increase, further defense planning, and efforts to further adapt the NATO force model, including in light of the announced reduction in US capabilities...”
The Ankara summit, scheduled for July 7-8, will bring together heads of state and government from NATO member states. It will be the 36th summit of the alliance and the second hosted by Türkiye, following the 2004 summit in Istanbul.
