Theo Francken

This commentary examines Belgium’s priorities and expectations for the Ankara NATO Summit. It argues that the Summit should be structured around three core agenda items: defense-industrial integration, Europe’s growing responsibility for its own security, and the expansion of NATO’s geographical area of strategic attention. Drawing attention to the structural constraints of the alliance’s defense-industrial capacity, the commentary rejects a “buy European only” approach and proposes a model of defense-industrial cooperation based on transcontinental joint production lines and industrial partnerships. Within this framework, Türkiye’s expanding defense-industrial ecosystem is identified as a strategic asset, particularly through the contributions of actors such as ASELSAN, Roketsan, and Baykar. The article further argues that, as the United States increasingly shifts its strategic focus towards Asia, European allies must assume greater operational responsibility on NATO’s eastern flank. Finally, it contends that secure access to critical raw materials in Africa and reducing Chinese dominance over these resources are of existential importance to the alliance’s long-term defense capacity. It therefore calls for an expansion of NATO’s maritime agenda to encompass the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.