Turkey backs NATO's 5% defence spending goal, plans nationwide air shield, source says
NATO allies on Wednesday agreed to raise their collective spending goal to 5% of gross domestic product over the next decade, citing the long-term threat posed by Russia and the need to strengthen civil and military resilience.
'Turkey is above the 2% target criterion under the Defence Spending Pledge,' the source said. 'As NATO's second-largest army, Turkey is among the top five contributors to the alliance's operations and missions.'
The source said Turkey had fulfilled all its NATO capability targets and was continuing to invest in defence industry development and research. It plans to expand a layered air defence network across the country, centred around its national "Steel Dome" project.
'We are investing in air defence systems, hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missile capabilities, unmanned land, sea and air systems, as well as next-generation aircraft carriers, frigates, and tanks,' the source said.
The new NATO target includes at least 3.5% of GDP for core defence spending, with the remainder to be spent on security-related infrastructure to improve civil preparedness and resilience.
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Explore more → A corner of NATO where Lenin presides → The far north has become NATO's soft underbelly, writes John Bolton → Mikhail Komin on why the Arctic is Putin's next front → Confrontation in the high north is not inevitable, argues Kieran Mulvaney Conflict in Svalbard is far from likely, even if increasing competition for influence in the region is guaranteed. For the sleepy settlement of Longyearbyen, on the most extreme edge of the map, ever more visits from military, political and intelligence officials are certain. Interest from neighbouring Russia, too, is only going to grow. More from
