Alliance evolving: The Ankara Summit and NATO Readiness

For a sense of how important the US-Turkey relationship is in this fractious geopolitical moment, consider President Donald Trump’s recent Oval Office comments about the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara: “If not for the fact that it was being held in Turkey by President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan, I don’t think I would have gone to it.”

While the personal rapport between Trump and Erdogan is a significant factor in strengthening ties today, the two countries need to transition beyond transactional diplomacy into a deeper, institutionalized security partnership. This special Ankara summit edition of the US-Turkey Defense Journal by the Atlantic Council Turkey Program provides a roadmap to do just that. 

Start with the defense industrial base. Turkey’s rapid emergence as a global defense powerhouse in pioneering next-generation unmanned aerial systems, complex naval engineering, and resilient supply chain networks presents an unprecedented opportunity for cooperation. By combining American technological depth and scale with Turkish manufacturing agility and engineering, the two countries can strengthen both their national capabilities and the broader NATO defense production base at a moment when allied capacity is under strain from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Unlocking the full potential of co-production requires clear, strategic foresight to navigate friction points and overcome differences. This edition of the journal highlights that both nations recognize the challenges of misalignment and the benefits of industrial and operational convergence.

The Atlantic Council remains committed to fostering the high-level dialogue necessary to propel this critical relationship forward, ensuring that the United States and Turkey continue to stand as pillars of security, innovation, and stability for the Alliance.

Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council

Managing editors

Rich Outzen and Can Kasapoğlu are the co-managing editors of the Defense Journal by the Atlantic Council Turkey Program.

Honorary advisory board

The Defense Journal by Atlantic Council Turkey Program‘s honorary advisory board provides vision and direction for the journal. We are honored to have Atlantic Council board directors Gen. Wesley K. Clark, former commander of US European Command; Amb. Paula J. Dobriansky, former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs; Gen. James L. Jones, former national security advisor to the President of the United States; Franklin D. Kramer, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute, former US Ambassador to NATO; and Dov S. Zakheim, former Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Defense.

Gen. Wesley K. Clark

Chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates & Board Director, Atlantic Council; former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO

Amb. Paula J. Dobriansky, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow at Harvard University JFK Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs; Board Director, Atlantic Council; former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs (2001-2009)

Gen. James L. Jones

President, Jones Group International and Executive Chairman Emeritus, Atlantic Council; former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States

Franklin D. Kramer

Distinguished Fellow & Board Director, Atlantic Council; former US Assistant Secretary of Defense

Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute

CEO, Cambridge Global Advisors & Board Director, Atlantic Council; former US Permanent Representative to NATO

Dov S. Zakheim

Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Senior Fellow, CNA Corporation; Board Director, Atlantic Council; former US Under Secretary of Defense

Explore the journal

Within the Atlantic Council’s longstanding commitment to strengthening the transatlantic relationship, the Atlantic Council Turkey Program conducts research, provides thought leadership, and offers a platform for strategic dialogue between the US, Turkey, and NATO allies to address the region’s toughest challenges and explore opportunities, including in the fields of energy, business & trade, technology, defense, and security.

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Image: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Romania's Interim President Ilie Bolojan, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Finland's President Alexander Stubb, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attend the European leaders' summit to discuss European security and Ukraine, at Lancaster House in London, Britain. March 2, 2025. (NTB/Javad Parsa/via REUTERS)