Turkey is preparing to host a NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, bringing together 32 NATO leaders along with officials from the Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler emphasized that the summit aims to strengthen bloc unity, assess increased defence spending by allies, enhance defence industry cooperation, and boost support for Ukraine.

Addressing ongoing tensions within NATO, including U.S. concerns over burden-sharing and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Guler assured that the United States has no plans to leave the alliance. Instead, Washington seeks greater responsibility from European allies and Canada in Europe's defence while highlighting the importance of including Turkey in European defence initiatives.

Guler described NATO as an essential platform for Euro-Atlantic security, viewing current challenges not as a crisis but as a process of adapting to a changing security environment. The summit is expected to address these evolving dynamics as the alliance seeks to maintain cohesion and enhance collective defence capabilities.