Istanbul (TDI): Turkiye’s parliament speaker used a high-profile NATO gathering to publicly rebuke allied nations that have imposed defense industry restrictions on Ankara, calling the measures a contradiction of the alliance’s founding principles.
Speaking at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Summit in Istanbul, Numan Kurtulmus – President of Turkish National Assembly – described the restrictions as “unilateral” and “meaningless” and urged all member states to match Türkiye’s readiness for defense industry cooperation.
“Within the framework of this alliance membership, it is evident that the embargoes imposed by some members, particularly in the field of defense industry, are entirely unilateral, meaningless and far removed from the spirit of the alliance,” Kurtulmus said.
He did not name the specific countries responsible, but the remarks are widely understood to refer to longstanding restrictions tied to Ankara’s 2019 purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which prompted the United States to remove Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program.
Kurtulmus also struck a conciliatory note toward Spain. “I would particularly like to thank our member countries, especially Spain, for the support they have given to Türkiye’s air defense system in the face of growing threats in the Middle East,” he said.
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The summit brought together parliamentary speakers and delegation heads from all 32 allied nations, along with NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Marcos Perestrello and other senior representatives. The gathering serves as a prelude to the Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for Ankara on July 7–8.
Kurtulmus used the platform to advance a broader Turkish foreign policy vision, presenting his country as an indispensable bridge-builder within the alliance.
He pointed to Türkiye’s role in Russia-Ukraine diplomacy, saying the two sides had been brought together at the Presidential Office but that peace had ultimately failed because “some countries did not want peace.”
He credited Turkish mediation with keeping the Black Sea grain corridor open, arguing it “prevented famine from emerging internationally, particularly in Africa.”
On Gaza, Kurtulmus was unequivocal. “Israel’s aggression, which disregards all international legal norms and has reached the level of genocide, must be brought to an end,” he said, calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and urging NATO members to support Middle East peace. “There can be no world peace without peace in the Middle East,” he said.
