Ankara: Trkiye plays a vital role in NATO’s deterrence posture and efforts to maintain stability across its southern flank, a senior alliance official said, highlighting Ankara’s growing strategic importance as NATO advances a comprehensive ‘360-degree’ security approach ahead of an upcoming summit in Ankara. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Anadolu, Javier Colomina, NATO secretary general’s special representative for the southern neighbourhood, described Trkiye as a central actor in shaping alliance policy toward the Mediterranean and wider southern neighborhood, citing its military capabilities, geographic position, and active contributions to regional security.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trkiye plays an essential role in ensuring the security of the Mediterranean, providing defense industry assets and leveraging its armed forces capabilities. Colomina emphasized Trkiye’s instrumental role in developing NATO’s Southern Neighborhood Action Plan, which aims to strengthen deterrence and resilience against interconnected threats such as terrorism, irregular migration, and geopolitical competition.
The Southern Neighborhood Action Plan is based on pillars like political dialogue, practical cooperation, and coordination with organizations including the African Union, the UN, the EU, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Arab League. Colomina highlighted the significant support from Trkiye, which has been crucial in the plan’s development and implementation. The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara will focus on implementing decisions from last year’s summit in The Hague, with an emphasis on defense investment targets and continued support for Ukraine.
Colomina underscored NATO’s priorities in the Eastern Mediterranean, mentioning longstanding cooperation frameworks such as the Mediterranean Dialogue and the role played by southern allies like Trkiye, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Trkiye’s military capabilities and strategic position make it particularly influential in regional security, contributing significantly to maintaining the Mediterranean as a secure basin.
NATO’s evolving defense concept focuses on threats across all strategic directions, reflecting an interconnected security environment. The 360-degree approach is central to NATO’s collective defense planning and deterrence efforts across the Euro-Atlantic area. Colomina pointed to challenges in the southern neighborhood, including terrorism, irregular migration, maritime and energy security concerns, and geopolitical competition involving Russia, China, and Iran. NATO’s response involves cooperation with a network of 12 southern partners among its 35 global partners.
Colomina addressed debates on burden-sharing and collective defense within NATO, affirming the alliance’s strength and unity following decisions at the 2024 summit in The Hague. He noted the historical increase in defense investment to 5%, highlighting the alliance’s commitment to Article 5 mutual defense guarantees. Despite regional crises, NATO relies on structured dialogue mechanisms such as the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, fostering cooperation with Mediterranean and Gulf partners.
Congratulating Trkiye on the 74th anniversary of its NATO membership, Colomina praised Ankara as a major contributor to alliance security and defense efforts, particularly in the southern neighborhood. He commended Trkiye’s defense industry and military capabilities across land, sea, and air, expressing satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation with Turkish allies.
