Ankara: The NATO Centre of Excellence for Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) in Trkiye is playing a pivotal role in enhancing the alliance's capabilities in counterterrorism. The center, which aims to fortify NATO and its partners against evolving threats, has become an essential resource for expertise and experience in this critical area.
According to Anadolu Agency, COE-DAT was officially established on June 28, 2005, in Ankara, following Trkiye's declaration of intent in 2003 and the preparation of memoranda of understanding. The center met NATO's Allied Command Transformation (ACT) accreditation criteria and was recognized as an International Military Organization by the North Atlantic Council on August 14, 2006.
Currently, the center hosts military personnel from seven countries, with Italy and Albania recently applying for participation. Their inclusion has been approved by ACT and is pending national legal procedures. On April 15, 2015, ACT designated COE-DAT as the NATO Counterterrorism Education and Training Branch.
Among NATO's 30 accredited Centres of Excellence, COE-DAT was the second to receive accreditation. It has been instrumental in organizing courses, conferences, symposia, seminars, workshops, and mobile training programs, attracting 18,447 participants from 124 nations.
Col. Halil Siddik Ayhan emphasized that COE-DAT successfully met 31 standards during NATO headquarters inspections in September, earning unconditional NATO Quality Assurance Institutional Accreditation for six years, effective January 1. He highlighted the center's mission to train military and civilian security personnel from allied and partner nations, organize expert-led events, and develop projects that contribute to NATO's ongoing transformation process.
COE-DAT also prioritizes exploring underexamined aspects of terrorism and publishes the Defense Against Terrorism Review (DATR) biannually, along with various counterterrorism books in English. Ayhan reiterated Trkiye's longstanding commitment to NATO since joining on February 13, 1952.
Deputy Commander Col. Jose Cabrera highlighted COE-DAT's capacity to conduct mobile training sessions upon request, with 328 activities conducted in 22 countries to date. He noted that the center serves as a hub for international collaboration among military, governmental, non-governmental, industrial, and academic communities in counterterrorism.
Cabrera further detailed that the center's staff includes 39 Turkish personnel and seven foreign officers from several NATO countries. Invitations for courses are extended to NATO member and partner nations, with English serving as the official language for all activities.