During his visit to the Turkish city of Antalya to participate in an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Rutte told Anadolu Agency that "NATO will demonstrate its collective strength and readiness to defend itself with the support of Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."
Rutte also stressed the importance of Turkey's defense industry infrastructure, noting that it plays a significant role in strengthening the alliance's capabilities.
Rutte noted that Russia, although its economy is only 1/25 the size of NATO's, is capable of producing ammunition in three months equivalent to what the alliance produces in an entire year, emphasizing the importance of boosting defense production among member states.
He expressed his hope for increased production in the Turkish defense industry in the future, given its positive impact on the Turkish economy and NATO's collective defense capabilities. He also called for strengthening the capabilities of major defense industry companies in Germany (Rheinmetall), Italy (Leonardo), and the United States (Lockheed Martin), praising Türkiye as a model to be emulated in this field.
Regarding calls for increased defense spending by member states, Rutte stressed that consultations within the alliance are still ongoing, pointing to the long-term Russian threat and the rapid development of Chinese military capabilities and their potential impact on NATO security.
He also called for improving the readiness of civilian infrastructure to transport military equipment when needed, saying, "We must ensure that the railways and roads on which our beautiful cars run can also transport our tanks if necessary."
Regarding Ukraine's accession to NATO, Rutte stressed that the alliance had never promised Ukraine's accession as part of a peace agreement, explaining: "We have never promised Ukraine or anyone else NATO membership as part of any peace agreement, and we have never made such a promise."
He emphasized that there is a difference between Ukraine's desire to join the alliance and achieving lasting peace, noting that any decision regarding the accession of any new country is subject to the approval of all members, including Türkiye.
