Rutte highlighted Türkiye’s 3,000-plus defence companies as a key contributor to NATO’s growing industrial capacity and military capability goals.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking at a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 3 December 2025, highlighted Türkiye’s growing strategic importance to the Alliance, with particular emphasis on its defence-industrial capacity.

During his remarks, Secretary General Rutte underlined that Türkiye possesses a large and diverse defence-industrial ecosystem comprising more than 3,000 companies. He described this industrial base as a meaningful contributor to NATO’s collective deterrence and defence objectives, especially at a time when the Alliance is focused on scaling up defence production, strengthening supply chains, and improving industrial resilience across member states.

Rutte’s comments were made in the broader context of NATO’s renewed emphasis on defence readiness and industrial output following recent alliance commitments to increased defence spending and capability development. He pointed to the importance of leveraging the full industrial potential of all Allies, noting that countries with established manufacturing depth and engineering capacity play a critical role in meeting NATO’s evolving operational requirements.

The Secretary General also framed Türkiye’s defence industry as an example of how national industrial ecosystems can support alliance-wide goals, from rapid production to long-term capability sustainment. His remarks reflected NATO’s wider push to enhance cooperation among Allied defence industries, reduce bottlenecks, and ensure timely delivery of critical systems.

Overall, Rutte’s statement reinforced Türkiye’s position as a key industrial and strategic partner within NATO, aligning its defence manufacturing strength with the Alliance’s objectives to enhance deterrence, readiness, and collective security in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

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