NATO summit in Ankara opens amid divisions over defence spending and strategic priorities

As leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO prepare to meet in Ankara this week the alliance is seeking to project unity at a time when disagreements over strategic priorities defence spending and its longterm purpose have become increasingly difficult to concealThe summit set for Tuesday and Wednesday comes against a backdrop of diverging approaches to the recent US military operation against Iran continued debate over ambitious defense spending targets and growing public criticism of NATO across parts of EuropeThe latest signs of discord emerged after the United States and Israel carried out military strikes against Iran starting in late February While several NATO allies expressed political support for Washingtons stated objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons none agreed to take a direct role in the operationThe reluctance of NATO allies to send warships to support US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz prompted criticism from US President Donald Trump who harshly accused European allies of benefiting from US security guarantees while avoiding the risks associated with military action Xinhua news agency reportedOytun Orhan a senior researcher at Ankaras Center for Middle Eastern Studies said many European members viewed the US strikes on Iran primarily through the prism of regional stability rather than solidarity with WashingtonA direct military role could have exposed them to retaliation disrupted energy supplies and increased migration pressures at a time when many countries are already facing significant domestic challenges Orhan saidSerkan Demirtas an Ankarabased foreign policy analyst and journalist specializing in NATO affairs believes the European response reflects lessons learned from previous conflictsExperiences in Iraq Afghanistan and Libya have made many European governments much more reluctant to participate in military operations without broad international legitimacy and clearly defined objectives he saidA major issue expected to dominate the summit is the implementation of the agreement reached at last years NATO Summit in The Hague where allies committed to increasing defenserelated expenditure to 5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035The target is widely seen as a key part of the Trump administrations push for what it has called NATO 30 which aims to shift the primary responsibility for Europes conventional defense from Washington to European member states Trump has long threatened to reconsider US security guarantees for NATO allies if they do not increase defense spendingWhile the 5per cent target has been set analysts question whether all member states will be able to meet itUnal believes several European governments accepted the target mainly to avoid confrontation with WashingtonAgreeing to a target for 2035 which is still a decade ahead was politically easier than opposing the United States directly which could create serious tensions he saidUnal argued that implementation faces major obstacles as some European countries are experiencing slow economic growth high public debt and aging populationsDomestic politics he added could become an equally important constraint as European societies generally place health care education and social welfare ahead of defense spendingGovernments may find it difficult to convince voters that such dramatic military budget increases are necessary he saidBeyond disputes over its policy NATO itself is confronting public skepticismAhead of the summit antiNATO demonstrations were held in Ankara Istanbul and Izmir with protesters denouncing the alliance as an imperialist war organization threatening peace and stability and accusing it of taking resources away from education health care and workers payThe demonstrators carried banners reading NATO wants war workers want peace Budget for the people not for NATO and No to NATO no to war while chanting slogans against the alliance Similar demonstrations took place in 2025 and 2026 in the Netherlands and SpainIn Istanbul workers civilians and members of political parties joined large rallies over the weekend calling for NATOs dissolution and voicing strong opposition to the alliances pressure on member states to increase military expenditureThe Ankara summit is expected to announce major defense procurement agreements many of which are likely to benefit US defense manufacturersAmerican defense companies naturally benefit when allies purchase NATOcompatible military equipment Unal said There is no doubt that the United States exercises considerable influence over the alliances strategic directionBaris Doster a scholar at Istanbulbased Marmara University said antiNATO protests reflect public anxiety over the domestic costs of rising militarisationNATO is not an ordinary simple defense and security organization It is an organization with economic political and ideological preferences It is the gendarme of capitalism imperialism and liberalism under US leadership he said