On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte commended Türkiye for playing a “vital role” in the alliance, particularly on NATO’s southeastern flank, and for contributing significantly to the organization’s overall capabilities. “Let’s not forget that Türkiye is a very important ally in the alliance. It has one of the best-equipped military forces in NATO. It plays a vital role in its part of the NATO geography. It provides a lot of capabilities to NATO as a whole,” Rutte said in Tallinn, Estonia.

Rutte made these remarks in response to a question about Türkiye’s relations with BRICS, as the 16th summit of the intergovernmental organization is taking place in Kazan, Russia. He expressed that Türkiye, a NATO member since 1952, has long been an integral part of the alliance. He acknowledged that within an alliance of 32 countries, “there will always be debates.”

He stressed that Türkiye’s engagement with BRICS partners is its “sovereign right” and might lead to discussions, but emphasized that this does not detract from Türkiye’s importance and popularity within NATO. “It is still and it will always be, to my absolute conviction … very popular in NATO,” Rutte said. He also added, “We are so happy that they are an ally of ours.”

This follows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that Türkiye “sincerely” seeks to enhance cooperation with the BRICS group. Erdogan is expected to attend the summit as a guest on Wednesday.