Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a cabinet meeting Monday to remind NATO allies of Turkey's military weight a...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a cabinet meeting Monday to remind NATO allies of Turkey's military weight ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankara, declaring that Turkey will continue to play a "dominant role" in the alliance. Erdogan pointed to Turkey's NATO second-largest land army, its defense industry, and its geographic position as the pillars of that role. He framed Turkey's contribution as indispensable, citing active involvement in peacekeeping missions across multiple regions and describing Ankara's upcoming summit as a potential "turning point that will shape the future of NATO's security architecture." The Turkish president also addressed the recent ceasefire agreement in the Middle East, saying he believed "this senseless war is now over." He credited Turkey with making a "positive contribution" to the negotiations that led to the deal, though he did not specify what that contribution involved. The Ankara summit is scheduled for next month and will be the first major NATO gathering hosted by Turkey. Erdogan's remarks signal that Ankara intends to use the occasion to press its case for greater influence within the alliance, at a moment when Turkey's relationship with several NATO members, including Greece and Cyprus, remains tense over Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean disputes. Greece and Turkey are both NATO members, but the two countries remain at odds over airspace violations, the status of demilitarized Aegean islands, and the continued division of Cyprus, where Turkish troops have been stationed since 1974, over 50 years ago. #Turkey #NATO #Erdogan