Turkey’s NATO Role Expands as It Prepares to Lead Allied Reaction Force
Turkey commemorates 74 years in NATO while gearing up to head the Alliance’s Allied Reaction Force, underscoring its strategic importance.
This year Turkey celebrates 74 years of NATO membership, a milestone that highlights its transformation into the alliance’s second-largest military force and the only sizable power on the southern flank. The country supports NATO operations across the Baltic, Black Sea and Middle East, contributes nearly 3,000 personnel to ongoing missions, and hosts key facilities such as the Allied Land Command in Izmir, the Rapid Deployable Corps in Istanbul, and several Centres of Excellence.
Turkish forces recently took part in the Steadfast Dart exercise in Germany and will take over leadership of the Allied Reaction Force in 2028, a core NATO capability. With defence spending at 2.33% of GDP in 2025, Turkey is also advancing AI, cyber and space projects, including the Steel Dome air-defence system and the KAAN fighter jet. The nation’s active role in counter-terrorism and its hosting of the 36th NATO summit reinforce its central position in the alliance’s collective defence strategy.
