Erdoğan to NATO Countries: 'We Must Build a Defense Network from Texas to Ankara'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged NATO countries to establish a comprehensive defense network spanning from Texas to Ankara, emphasizing Turkey's vital role in European security. Speaking at a luncheon for NATO Parliamentary Assembly Speakers in Istanbul, Erdoğan stated that excluding Turkey's defense capabilities due to narrow political interests would benefit no one. He stressed the need for an "unconditional and unqualified" security and defense network across the alliance.

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We must establish an unconditional and unqualified security and defense network stretching from Texas to Ankara.

Erdoğan highlighted that the current geopolitical situation has amplified NATO's significance. He asserted that Turkey is adept at understanding the spirit of this new era, noting its extensive border with crisis regions and its substantial contributions to NATO's security for over 70 years through its strong military, modern capabilities, and advanced defense industry. He pointed out that existing security paradigms are being dismantled, leaving uncertainty about what will replace them.

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Turkey is one of the countries that best reads the spirit of the new era.

The president also commented on the erosion of trust in international institutions, citing events in Gaza and Lebanon as deeply wounding humanity's conscience. He argued that current situations cannot be explained using old concepts without acknowledging these new dimensions. In this context, Erdoğan believes maintaining NATO's deterrence and strengthening solidarity among allies are more critical than ever.

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The massacres we have witnessed recently, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, have opened deep wounds in the conscience of humanity, while also undermining the credibility of international institutions and theories.