Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called for the removal of restrictions on defense cooperation among NATO allies.
"Restrictions between allies regarding defense cooperation, particularly in the defense industry, should be lifted," Erdogan said at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Highlighting Türkiye's growing defense sector, Erdogan said the country's largest achievement in recent years has been its major defense industry advances.
"Undoubtedly, our country's greatest success lies in the breakthrough we have achieved in the defense industry," he said, adding that Türkiye has become one of the world's top 10 countries in terms of defense production and export capacity.
Erdogan also reaffirmed Ankara's commitment to strengthening its contribution to NATO by increasing defense spending.
"Türkiye has taken measures to raise the ratio of our defense spending to the 3.5% level before 2030," he said.
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