Dutch Chief of Defence Gen. Onno Eichelsheim said on Sunday that Türkiye’s role within NATO will grow as the US reduces some of its military capabilities, adding that he was impressed by the Turkish defence industry and saw strong potential for bilateral cooperation.
Eichelsheim made the remarks in an interview with Anadolu during a visit to Ankara ahead of the NATO Summit, which will be held Monday and Tuesday.
He said the Ankara summit would mark several important turning points, stressing that the alliance’s top priority should be implementing the 3.5 percent defence spending commitment agreed at The Hague Summit.
“The most important outcome of this summit should be that we implement the 3.5 percent commitment we made in The Hague. This summit should provide more detail and clarity on the next steps,” he said.
Eichelsheim said the Netherlands could serve as an example in this regard.
“We prepared a White Paper and demonstrated our willingness to meet NATO’s 5 percent defence spending target,” he said.
He also said European countries should begin assuming greater responsibility within NATO to compensate for capabilities being withdrawn by the US.
“I think this is another important turning point. From that perspective, Europeans truly beginning to take greater responsibility within the alliance can be regarded as a historic moment,” he said.
Outlining his expectations for the summit, Eichelsheim said NATO should first demonstrate its unity and determination.
“I think the summit should first show our determination as an alliance and that we are still together and our ties remain strong. That should be one of the key messages we send,” he said.
“Second, we should demonstrate that the 3.5% target we agreed on last year is now being implemented by alliance members. Third, I believe a positive outcome would be identifying a path to peace in the Russia-Ukraine war and a path towards resolving the Iran-Israel-US conflict, because both issues are extremely important for stability,” he added.
Turkish industry capable of meeting needs
Commenting on the US decision to reduce its military contribution in Europe, Eichelsheim said NATO would continue to need the US while Europe takes greater responsibility.
“We need the US within the alliance. I also don’t think it would be right for Europeans to try to do everything on their own. But we do need to take on greater responsibility,” he said.
“Europe has the capacity to fill the gaps created by the capabilities the US is currently withdrawing. Over time, European countries should go even further, and for that we need our defence industry. We see that Türkiye has an industry capable of meeting these needs. The European defence industry still has some steps to take before reaching that level,” he added.
Eichelsheim said European countries would be able to meet the new targets but acknowledged that doing so would take time.
NATO 3.0
Speaking about NATO’s new vision expected to take shape at the Ankara summit, Eichelsheim said the alliance needs resilient societies and defense industries capable of responding rapidly in wartime.
“For me, NATO 3.0 means several things. First, we need resilient societies and resilient defense industries that allow us to act quickly once war begins. We must provide deterrence, but to be credible we also need an industry and a society that can support it,” he said.
He added that NATO also needs to deliver on the 3.5% spending commitment while investing not only in expensive, advanced systems but also in low-cost capabilities.
“For me, NATO 3.0 means resilient societies, resilient industry and investment not only in very expensive systems but also in low-cost light unmanned aerial vehicles and low-cost interceptor systems,” he said.
Highlighting Türkiye’s role, Eichelsheim said the country has always played a key part within NATO because of its strategic location.
“I think Türkiye plays a very important role. It has always played a very important role within the alliance. Because of its geographic location, it is the guardian of NATO’s southeastern flank. While it does this together with some partners, Türkiye is the most important country in this region,” he said.
“Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest armed forces. As the US withdraws some capabilities, we will also need Türkiye to help fill those gaps. Therefore, Türkiye’s role within NATO will become even greater. I have also seen that Türkiye is very willing to assume this role not only in its own region but in other parts of NATO as well. Türkiye has played a very important role until now, and that role will become even more important in the future,” he added.
Eichelsheim said his meetings in Ankara were productive and focused on increasing joint exercises with Türkiye, expanding the exchange of lessons from Ukraine, preparing both militaries for future warfare, making greater mutual use of defense academies and improving interoperability.
He also highlighted cooperation in the defence industry.
“I spent a day in Türkiye visiting Turkish defence companies, and I was truly impressed by the level of capability they demonstrated. I believe there are significant opportunities for cooperation in this field as well,” he said.
