Ankara: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on allies and defense companies Tuesday to accelerate production and industrial cooperation, saying the alliance must turn higher military spending into concrete capabilities. Speaking at the NATO Defense Industry Forum held on the sidelines of the alliance's summit in Ankara, Rutte said governments, armed forces, and the industry should work together to ensure NATO remains prepared for an increasingly complex security environment.
According to Anadolu Agency, European allies and Canada increased defense spending by nearly 20% last year, representing an additional $139 billion, while combined increases for 2025 and 2026 are expected to reach $258 billion. "The money is there, and much more is coming," Rutte said. Rutte said governments and industry invested $37 billion over the past year to strengthen the alliance's defense industrial base, expanding factories, production lines, and manufacturing capacity.
He also announced that new defense contracts worth tens of billions of dollars had been signed during the forum, covering air defense systems, strike capabilities, satellite communications, ammunition, drones, and counter-drone systems. The alliance is expected to have the capacity to produce around 4 million artillery shells annually by next year, nearly doubling current output, he said.
Warning that NATO cannot afford delays, Rutte cited Russia's military buildup, China's expanding armed forces and nuclear capabilities, North Korea's continued weapons development, and its military support for Russia, as well as broader cooperation among those countries. He also said recent US military action had significantly degraded Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs but stressed that the alliance must remain vigilant.
Rutte urged governments to simplify procurement rules, invest in long-term production capacity, and strengthen energy supplies, skilled workforces, and secure supply chains while encouraging defense companies to increase investment to meet growing demand. For the first time, NATO is also publicly releasing a consolidated demand signal outlining the alliance's capability requirements to help industry align production with military needs, he added.
Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said the current security environment showed that a strong defense industry is essential to protecting national sovereignty and strengthening NATO's collective deterrence. He said the war in Ukraine highlighted the need for more ammunition, drones, air and missile defenses, and military innovation.
He added that recent developments around the Strait of Hormuz underscored the importance of secure supply chains and transport routes. "The fundamental question for all of us is: How quickly can we turn our commitments into real capabilities?" Guler said. He said one of the main objectives of the Ankara summit was to ensure allies expand defense investment, meet new capability targets, and build a stronger, more innovative, and resilient transatlantic defense industrial base.
Highlighting Trkiye's defense industry, Guler said the country has significantly expanded domestic production and engineering capabilities across land, naval and air platforms, drones, electronic warfare, and air defense technologies. He pointed to simultaneous construction of dozens of military vessels in Turkish shipyards, the serial production of the Altay main battle tank, development of the Kaan fifth-generation fighter aircraft, and increased 155 mm ammunition production.
Guler also highlighted new missile and munitions investments by Rokestsan and advanced technologies developed by Aselsan and Havelsan, including radar, communications, command-and-control systems, software, simulation, and artificial intelligence-supported capabilities. He said NATO's commitment to invest 5% of GDP in defense represented a concrete demonstration of the alliance's determination to strengthen deterrence, expand defense production, and deliver military capabilities more rapidly.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said the Ankara summit marked the beginning of what he described as "NATO 3.0," with a greater emphasis on burden-sharing and stronger European contributions within the alliance. He said the next challenge for NATO would be ensuring higher defense spending translates into industrial capacity and operational capability.
Yilmaz said Trkiye had become the world's 11th-largest defense exporter and was expected to enter the global top 10 in the near future. He added that defense and aerospace exports exceeded $11 billion over the past year, with more than half destined for NATO allies and European Union countries. Yilmaz also called for the removal of restrictions affecting defense trade and industrial cooperation among allies, arguing that such barriers weaken NATO's military readiness and collective security.
He said Trkiye sought deeper cooperation with allies not only through exports but also through joint production, design, and development projects, adding that stronger transatlantic security depended on integrating production capacity, technological expertise, and operational experience across the alliance.