President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and NATO Secretary General Rutte welcomed world leaders arriving at the summit in Ankara.
As the second day of the summit began, the leaders shook hands and posed for a commemorative photograph.
The meeting will address the threats, risks, and challenges facing the alliance, as well as the situation in Ukraine.
Erdoğan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with some leaders on the sidelines of the summit. Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years, joined the alliance in the year 1952.
Transatlantic Unity
The Turkish leader called for unity among NATO allies, saying it is vital for the security of all members.
"We must be in complete harmony and refrain from actions that could undermine relations between Europe and the other side of the ocean. Unity largely reflects on security, and we must prevent any kind of rift." Erdoğan said in his speech.
President Erdoğan stated that restrictions on the defence industry among NATO allies should be lifted and that more responsibility should be assumed for the defence of the Alliance.
Erdoğan also stated that Türkiye has taken the necessary steps to meet NATO’s 5% defence spending target by the year 2030 and has allocated an additional $24 billion to the budget for the "Steel Dome" programme to strengthen NATO’s air and missile defence systems.