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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the plenary session of the NATO summit in Ankara, announcing that Türkiye intends to meet the Alliance’s new defense spending target of 5% of GDP by 2030—five years ahead of the 2035 deadline agreed by NATO members. He also unveiled additional investments in the country’s "Steel Dome" air and missile defense system, called for the removal of restrictions on defense cooperation among allies, reaffirmed military support for Ukraine, and reiterated his backing for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Erdoğan said that following decisions adopted at the NATO summit in The Hague, Ankara had intensified efforts to strengthen the contribution of European allies to collective security.

According to the Turkish president, the government has already taken the necessary steps to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2030, while funding for broader security and resilience initiatives has reached the equivalent of 1.5% of the national budget.

"With these measures, we aim to achieve the 5% target five years ahead of the deadline agreed in The Hague—by 2030," Erdoğan said.

He described the rapid expansion of Türkiye’s defense industry as one of the country's most significant achievements.

"Today, Türkiye ranks among the world's top ten producers and exporters of defense equipment. Of the 361 commitments we have undertaken within NATO, virtually all will be fulfilled within the next three years—well ahead of schedule," he stated.

Erdoğan announced that Türkiye will allocate an additional $24 billion to the development of its national "Steel Dome" integrated air and missile defense system.

He said the investment would help address one of NATO's most critical capability gaps in integrated air and missile defense.

The Turkish president also emphasized that Türkiye possesses Europe's largest land army and stands ready to make its capabilities available to NATO whenever required.

Erdoğan devoted part of his speech to unmanned systems, highlighting Türkiye's extensive operational experience with armed and reconnaissance drones in real combat environments.

He announced plans to seek NATO accreditation for the country's newly established Center of Excellence for Counter-Unmanned Systems.

According to Erdoğan, the center will specialize in countering threats posed by both aerial and maritime unmanned platforms, strengthening NATO's capabilities in this rapidly evolving field.

The Turkish leader argued that achieving the objectives of the NATO 3.0 initiative requires allies to eliminate restrictions on defense-industrial cooperation.

"It is particularly important to remove restrictions among allies in the defense industry. We welcome the fact that both industry representatives and governments clearly identified this issue during the Defense Industry Forum," Erdoğan said.

Addressing NATO allies that are also members of the European Union, Erdoğan argued that European defense policy should evolve without creating parallel structures that duplicate NATO's functions.

He warned that excluding non-EU NATO members from joint defense projects would artificially divide Europe and lead to inefficient use of limited resources.

"European Union security initiatives will deliver maximum benefit only if they complement rather than duplicate NATO's activities," he said.

Turning to the war in Ukraine, Erdoğan said he shares the determination of U.S. President Donald Trump to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

He reaffirmed Türkiye's support for initiatives aimed at addressing Ukraine's immediate defense needs and confirmed that Ankara would continue providing military assistance to Kyiv from its own resources.

"While supporting Ukraine, we are also using our communication channels to encourage Russia toward peace," Erdoğan said.

Commenting on regional tensions involving Iran, Erdoğan praised President Trump's efforts to de-escalate the crisis despite what he described as attempts to undermine the diplomatic process.

He also stated that Türkiye is prepared to participate in mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz should such an operation become necessary.

In addition, Erdoğan thanked the United States, Spain, Germany, and Italy for their support within NATO, including the deployment of additional air defense systems to help protect Türkiye against missile threats.

Erdoğan reiterated that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to a lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The key to lasting peace in the Middle East is a solution based on two states," he said.

The Turkish president also called on the international community to help end the violence and restore stability in Gaza and Lebanon.

Concluding his address, Erdoğan stressed that NATO allies must maintain full solidarity in combating all forms of terrorism.

He expressed confidence that the NATO summit in Ankara would become another important milestone in strengthening the Alliance's collective security.