The President of Turkey requests the removal of restrictions on defense cooperation within NATO.

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan requested on Wednesday the lifting of restrictions on defense cooperation among NATO allies during the Summit in Ankara.

Erdoğan emphasized that as European allies take on greater responsibility for the defense of the continent, policies that could weaken NATO unity or transatlantic ties must be avoided.

He highlighted Turkey's progress in the defense industry, noting that its industry has become one of the top 10 globally in this sector.

Turkey intends to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2030 and has allocated $24 billion for its air defense and missile defense project, the Dome of Ozel.

Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to NATO and mentioned its contributions to the alliance's operations.