NATO must strengthen its deterrence capabilities in the face of growing international uncertainty, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the NATO Parliamentary Summit, which is being held in Istanbul on the eve of the upcoming Alliance summit in Ankara on July 7-8, Turkish media reported.
According to Erdogan, the development of events in the region is changing the understanding of security and NATO needs to have a stronger deterrence capacity. According to the Turkish president, Turkey is among the countries that best understand the spirit of the new era.
„Turkey supports peace. We share our experience with our allies. "We have the will to participate in all initiatives in the field of defense on the continent," Erdogan said, quoted by Haberler.
The Turkish president also emphasized in his speech the need to strengthen solidarity and coordination between NATO member states and pointed out that Turkey should not be excluded from joint processes, Haberturk reported.
“We will continue to fulfill our obligations regarding burden sharing. "Barriers to trade in the field of defense must be removed," he said.
According to the Turkish leader, Europe's security is at a "historic turning point."
Erdogan also commented on the situation in the Middle East, stating that Turkey is closely following the attacks on Lebanon and warned that provocations should not be allowed to undermine peace efforts.
"Until the Israeli actions to appropriate Palestinian territories are stopped, lasting peace cannot be achieved," the Turkish president said.
He stressed that the Palestinian issue is at the heart of the tension in the Middle East and once again called for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Erdogan expressed hope that the ceasefire between the US and Iran will become permanent, indicating that Ankara is closely monitoring actions that could undermine the achieved agreements.
“Turkey supports peace and stability. The NATO summit in Ankara will be the strongest platform for exchanging experiences“, the Turkish head of state also said.