German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed confidence Tuesday that NATO's summit in Türkiye will project "strength and unity" at a time of global tensions and conflicts.
"The NATO summit in Ankara is taking place in turbulent times, and in these times we need a strong and united NATO as a guarantor of our freedom and security," Merz told reporters at Berlin's airport before departing for the event in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Merz said European allies are prepared to shoulder more responsibility within the alliance by boosting defense spending and enhancing military capabilities, thereby strengthening the European pillar of NATO.
The chancellor said he has held intensive discussions in recent weeks with US President Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, other European leaders and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to help ensure the summit delivers positive results.
"I hope that, together, we can succeed in fostering a 'Spirit of Ankara' at this summit," Merz said. "We are building a more European NATO so that NATO can remain transatlantic. That should be the message coming out of this summit."
He added that the goal is to achieve both stronger transatlantic cooperation and a significantly stronger European defense capability.
