NATO is adapting to a rapidly changing security environment rather than facing a crisis, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler has said ahead of the alliance’s summit in Ankara next week, while stressing that the United States has no intention of withdrawing from NATO despite pressing European allies to shoulder a greater share of the security burden.According to a Reuters report, ahead of the July 7-8 summit, Guler said the alliance remained central to Euro-Atlantic security and that current debates over defence spending and burden-sharing reflected an evolving security landscape rather than instability within NATO.“NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defence. We evaluate the period we are going through not as a crisis, but as a process of adjusting to the changing security environment,” Guler said.The summit in Ankara will bring together leaders of all 32 NATO member states along with officials from the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region. The meeting comes at a time when the alliance is grappling with disagreements over defence expenditure, burden-sharing and Washington’s criticism that allies have not played a sufficient role in efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz.Guler said discussions at the summit would focus on preserving alliance unity, reviewing increased defence spending by member states, strengthening defence industry cooperation and expanding support for Ukraine.He also reiterated Turkey’s long-standing position that it should be included in European defence initiatives, arguing that Ankara’s role is essential to the continent’s broader security architecture.Commenting on the United States’ position within the alliance, Guler said Washington was seeking greater contributions from its allies rather than preparing to leave NATO.“He said the US had no intention of withdrawing from NATO, but that it wanted European allies and Canada to assume more responsibility for the security of Europe,” Guler said, adding that Europe “must include Ankara in its defence plans and initiatives.”The summit comes amid renewed debate over NATO’s future as member states face mounting pressure to increase defence spending and strengthen collective deterrence. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged European allies to contribute more to the alliance’s defence commitments, arguing that Washington has borne a disproportionate share of the burden.Turkey, NATO’s second-largest military after the United States, has consistently argued that it should play a greater role in European security planning despite longstanding disagreements with some Western allies over defence procurement and regional policies. Ankara has also maintained that closer defence industry cooperation within NATO is critical as the alliance responds to the continuing war in Ukraine and growing security challenges across Europe and the Middle East.
