The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara comes at a pivotal moment for the alliance, with the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East highlighting Türkiye’s increasingly central role in Euro-Atlantic security.
As the Turkish capital finalises preparations to host world leaders for the NATO Summit on July 7-8, the meeting is set to underscore how the country has evolved from a Cold War frontline state into one of the alliance’s most strategically important members, with growing influence across the Black Sea, the Middle East and south-eastern Europe.
Since joining NATO in 1952, Türkiye has become one of the alliance’s leading military contributors, hosting critical command structures, participating in missions from the Balkans to Afghanistan and developing a defence industry that has emerged as a major supplier of modern military technology.
Ahead of NATO’s 36th summit, here is a closer look at the country’s evolving role within the alliance.
From Cold War ally to global contributor
Türkiye’s trajectory toward NATO began in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
Facing intense geopolitical pressure from the Soviet Union over the Turkish Straits, Ankara decisively aligned its foreign policy with the Western bloc.
To demonstrate its commitment to collective security, Türkiye deployed a military brigade to the Korean War under the UN Command in 1950. The brigade’s performance strengthened Türkiye’s path toward membership.
In 1951, Türkiye signed the Accession Protocol on October 17, formalising its entry into the alliance framework.
On February 18, 1952, Türkiye officially acceded to the alliance alongside Greece during NATO’s very first enlargement cycle.
During the Cold War, the country became a cornerstone of NATO’s south-eastern defences, hosting critical military infrastructure, including Incirlik Air Base in Adana.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Türkiye expanded its role beyond territorial defence, becoming one of NATO’s leading contributors to overseas peacekeeping and stabilisation missions.
Strategic role in the alliance
Türkiye occupies NATO’s south-eastern flank at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, giving it a pivotal role in the alliance’s security architecture.
It also controls access to the Black Sea through the Bosporus and Dardanelles under the 1936 Montreux Convention, allowing Ankara to regulate naval transit during times of conflict.
Türkiye also has the second-largest standing military force in the alliance after the US.
As defence spending and burden-sharing dominate the agenda for the upcoming summit, the country enters the meetings having expanded its defence spending to an estimated 2.3 percent of GDP in 2025, according to NATO’s 2025 annual report.
Türkiye also contributes 6.301 percent of NATO’s common-funded budgets, ranking seventh among the alliance’s 32 members.
According to the Turkish foreign ministry, its overall contribution is projected to reach $342 million (€300 million) in 2026 and $708 million (€620 million) by 2030.
The country also holds a 65 percent share of the global armed drone export market, an increasingly key component of modern warfare.
NATO missions
Turkish troops have participated in numerous NATO operations in recent decades, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Following the end of the Cold War, Türkiye expanded its participation in crisis management and peace-support operations, particularly in the Balkans.
In the mid-1990s, Turkish forces became an operational pillar in the region, deploying to the Implementation Force and the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Türkiye remains one of the largest contributors to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), where Turkish Maj. Gen. Ozkan Ulutas commanded the multinational peacekeeping mission in two separate terms between 2023 and 2026.
A major contributor to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, Türkiye committed thousands of personnel to the International Security Assistance Force and the subsequent Resolute Support Mission following the September 11 attacks.
Turkish forces twice assumed command of the multinational brigade in Kabul, securing key logistical centres and the capital’s international airport.
From 2018 until NATO withdrew its personnel from Baghdad in March 2026, Türkiye served as a major troop and advisory contributor to the NATO Mission in Iraq, assisting in regional anti-terrorism capacity-building.
The country also hosts key alliance infrastructure, including NATO’s Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) headquarters, which was established in Izmir in 2012.
The alliance has also supported Türkiye during times of crisis. Following the devastating February 6, 2023 earthquakes, NATO allies dispatched search-and-rescue teams, medical assistance and temporary shelter, highlighting the alliance’s principle of collective solidarity.
The Ankara summit will mark the second time Türkiye has hosted NATO leaders, after the alliance’s 2004 summit in Istanbul.
