Today we are celebrating the the 60th Anniversary of Turkey’s membership to NATO.
As a natural outcome of the orientation developed by our Great Leader Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, our country took her place in NATO sixty years ago. Since then, Turkey has been one of the members who has made the greatest contributions to the Alliance in its regional and global peace efforts.
Ever since Turkey's NATO membership in 1952, the international environment has fundamentally changed; the Cold War came to an end, and challenges which emerged during the post-Cold War era were dealt with. However, the strategic nature of Turkey’s membership to NATO did not change. NATO continues to be the milestone of Turkey’s defense and security policy.
Being the alliance of countries sharing common values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law, NATO, which always preserve its fundamental aim of establishing a just and lasting environment of peace in Europe, is the most successful alliance of the modern era.
Today, we are faced with new risks and threats such as the global economic crisis and its reflections in Europe, and the difficulties that could be caused by the comprehensive transformation in the Middle East.
Up until now, NATO has demonstrated that it can play important roles in establishing security and peace on the basis of international legitimacy. As an island of stability and with her strong economic growth and dynamism, Turkey actively contributes to peace and stability in her region.
Throughout the sixty years that Turkey has been a member of NATO, the importance of Turkey for NATO and reciprocally of NATO for Turkey has continued to increase.
Turkey will continue to be a reliable Ally and contribute to NATO, as she has done so during her membership to the Alliance for sixty years.