Türkiye announced at the opening session of the 36th NATO Summit, which it hosted, that it has allocated a 24 billion dollar budget for the “Steel Dome” project, which integrates air and missile defence systems. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also stated that Türkiye, as the NATO country with the largest land army in Europe, will continue to use its capabilities in areas where the Alliance needs them.
2030 Defence Spending Target
Speaking at the summit held at the Presidential Complex, Erdoğan shared Türkiye’s current timeline for defence expenditures. He said measures are being taken to raise the defence spending ratio to 3.5 percent before 2030, and noted that the country has already reached the 1.5 percent level for security spending. Türkiye now plans to reach the 5 percent target set at the The Hague Summit five years earlier than the 2035 deadline.
Steel Dome and Export Capacity
The 24 billion dollar budget set aside for the Steel Dome project, which focuses on closing gaps in air and missile defence systems, also reveals the project’s priority level across the Alliance. Erdoğan also noted that Türkiye ranks among the top 10 countries in the world in defence industry production and export capacity. He said nearly all of the 361 capability targets committed to NATO will be met ahead of schedule.
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The accreditation of the Centre of Excellence for Countering Unmanned Systems by NATO is also expected to increase the country’s capability to respond to air and sea drone threats.
Defence Cooperation and Regional Messages
President Erdoğan called for the removal of defence industry restrictions among allies in line with NATO 3.0 goals. He also stated that European allies need to take more responsibility for continental defence. Erdoğan emphasised that EU security efforts should be aligned with NATO and that unnecessary duplication should be avoided.
Erdoğan also addressed regional crises during the summit. He reiterated that support for Ukraine will continue, that communication channels with Russia are being kept open with a focus on peace, and that lasting peace in the Middle East depends on a two state solution. At the end of his speech, he thanked the United States, Spain, Germany and Italy for their contributions to Türkiye’s air defence.
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Source: C4Defence– The Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
