Held during a period marked by rapidly rising global defense spending, deepening geopolitical risks, and the reshaping of supply chains, the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government delivered important messages regarding not only the alliance’s deterrence policies but also the transformation of the defense industry. The Defense Industry Forum and the Türkiye-U.S. Defense Industry Cooperation Roundtable, held as part of the summit in Ankara, revealed that joint production, technology transfer, R&D investments, and industrial cooperation will be among the top priorities for the coming period.

Speaking at the panel titled “Shared Values, A Stronger Industrial Infrastructure," South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated that defense cooperation with NATO should not be limited to the mere buying and selling of weapons. He brought to the table a proposal for a “Korea-NATO Defense Industry Partnership 2.0,” which includes models for joint research, production, and use. Lee noted that combining advanced technologies with NATO’s institutional expertise would significantly enhance the alliance’s security capabilities and announced that South Korea plans to increase its defense spending from approximately 2.3 percent of GDP to 3.5 percent.

Speaking at the panel, Australian Minister for Defense Industry Pat Conroy noted that the Indo-Pacific is experiencing the largest arms race since 1945, adding that countries are compelled to expand their defense-industry infrastructure. Conroy emphasized that failing to increase production capacity would result in the same military capabilities being acquired at much higher costs. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze also noted that the war in Ukraine has accelerated the development of defense technologies, adding that the testing of unmanned systems in real-time operations is shaping the next generation of defense solutions.

Highlighting the technological dimension of defense, Planet Labs Chairman Ashley Johnson said that satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and big data analysis have become integral parts of the modern security paradigm. Johnson noted that the relationship between energy security and national security is growing stronger by the day, adding that competition for resources will be a key factor shaping security policies in the future. Speaking at the forum’s closing session, Tarja Jaakkola, NATO Deputy Secretary General for Defense Industry, Innovation, and Armaments, noted that increasing defense budgets are now being translated into concrete projects and said that stronger industrial partnerships among allies will be established. Jaakkola’s remark, “There is no defense without the defense industry,” stood out as one of the forum’s most striking messages.

At the Türkiye-U.S. Defense Industry Cooperation Roundtable Meeting held on the occasion of the 36th NATO Summit, Deputy Minister of National Defense Salih Ayhan, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael P. Duffey, DEİK President Nail Olpak, DEİK/Türkiye- U.S. Business Council (TAİK) Chairman Murat Özyeğin, Am- Cham Türkiye Chairman Emre Karter, ATBR Chairman General James L. Jones, and representatives of leading organizations in the Turkish- American defense industry were present. At this significant event, which constituted the economic dimension of the summit at the private sector level, DEİK President Nail Olpak noted that the meeting, which brought together Turkish and American defense companies, offered important opportunities for joint production, technology development, and new partnerships in global supply chains. Olpak noted that Türkiye’s defense industry—with its high localization rate, production capabilities meeting NATO standards, and agile production infrastructure— has emerged as a strategic supply partner within the global defense ecosystem.

According to Olpak, the concept of security today encompasses not only military threats but also energy security, critical minerals, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the protection of critical infrastructure. For this reason, the NATO Summit serves as a platform where not only security policies but also the new economic architecture and business diplomacy are shaped. In this new era, where the defense industry’s strategic importance for economic growth, technological development, and international investment is steadily increasing, Türkiye also aims to play a stronger role in global collaborations through its production capacity and geopolitical position.