Is US leaving NATO? Turkish defence minister reveals Washington's position

Turkey is set to host a NATO summit comprising 32 leaders in Ankara next week on July 7-8. In the midst of this much-awaiting defense summit, the Turkish Defence Minister cleared the position of the US regarding leaving the alliance.

According to Yaser Guler as reported by Reuters, the United States is not planning to leave NATO, in fact, the defence alliance is “adjusting to a shifting sands of security landscape.”

Instead of exiting NATO, the US wants Canada and European allies to take the responsibility of their own security.

Speaking about the primary focus of the summit, Guler explained that the summit will prioritize strengthening bloc unity, boosting defense spending among allies and increasing cooperation within the defense industry. Additionally, he also emphasized the increasing active role of Ankara in European defense initiatives along with support for Ukraine.

"NATO continues to be an unparalleled and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and ​defence. We ​evaluate the period ⁠we are going through not as a crisis, but as a process of adjusting ​to the changing security environment," Guler said.

There is still an uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s plan to leave the alliance. In the wake of the recent conflict between the US and Iran, Trump slammed the allies for not showing enough support over the reopening of Strait of Hormuz.

Moreover, the US also continues to apply pressure on NATO allies to increase defense budget up to 5 percent of their GDP on defense.