German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that he expects an 'Ankara spirit' to emerge at the NATO Summit in Ankara in the coming days, which will strengthen transatlantic cooperation. German government officials emphasized at a briefing that the summit aims to further increase harmony between the US and European allies.
Officials reported that European NATO members have increased their defense spending by more than 100 billion euros over the past year. They also announced that Germany increased its defense budget by approximately 25 billion euros to 124 billion euros, thus doubling its spending compared to 2022.
Officials stated that Germany plans to increase its defense spending to 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2029. They noted that this target will be achieved before the date previously agreed upon in The Hague.
Merz's pre-summit contacts
Officials recalled that Chancellor Merz held meetings ahead of the summit with the leaders of the E5 countries, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and US President Donald Trump. They conveyed that Merz is working through these contacts to foster the 'Ankara spirit'.
Officials stated that the summit should send a strong message that Europeans are taking on more responsibility for their own security, both financially and through defense industry cooperation. 'We Europeans are taking on greater responsibilities,' the official said, adding that European defense ministers are working on a joint declaration to that effect.
Ukraine and Iran on the summit agenda
Officials stated that the Ukraine issue will play a central role at the NATO Summit in Ankara. They reported that support for Ukraine will be discussed and that the aim is to further increase transatlantic harmony politically.
Officials noted that the Iran issue will also be on the summit table. The official added that Chancellor Merz and the allies welcome the agreement reached between the US and Iran.
