Experts, diplomats, and think tank representatives discussed the security of the Black Sea region, Türkiye’s role within the Alliance, and the prospects for closer cooperation between Sofia and Ankara.
Sofia hosted an international roundtable discussion titled "Rethinking Regional Security in NATO: Resilience, Cooperation and the Türkiye-Bulgaristan Nexus." The Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye organised the meeting in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD).
The roundtable was held on 25 June 2026 as part of a series of expert meetings taking place in the capitals of NATO member states ahead of the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on 7-8 July 2026.
The event started with a welcoming speech by the Director of the Geo-economics Programme at the CSD. The Head of Communications for the Presidency of Türkiye, Prof. Burhanettin Duran, addressed the participants via a video message.
The discussion was attended by diplomats from NATO member countries, security and foreign policy experts, academics, think tank representatives, and members of the media.
The forum was moderated by Michael Miklaucic, a Senior Fellow at CSD. Notable speakers included Prof. Muhittin Ataman, Prof. Todor Tagarev, Prof. Murat Yeşiltaş, Prof. Erman Akıllı, and Martin Vladimirov, the Director of the Geo-economics Programme of CSD.
Two panel discussions addressed expectations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, the impact of the war in Ukraine on Black Sea security, Türkiye’s strategic role within the Alliance, and the imperative to strengthen NATO’s defence and deterrence capabilities.
Participants highlighted Türkiye’s contribution to maintaining security in the Black Sea, the implementation of the Montreux Convention, the development of the Turkish defence industry, and the importance of Ankara’s diplomatic efforts within the framework of the Alliance.
The panel focused on regional cooperation, particularly on the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea) led by Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania. The prospects for deepening the partnership between Bulgaria and Türkiye in the fields of energy security, protection of critical infrastructure, and defence technologies were also evaluated.
In the second part of the programme, a meeting was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Sofia with representatives from Bulgarian and international media. Ambassador Mehmet Sait Uyanık hosted the meeting.
Speaking to the press, Prof. Murat Yeşiltaş and Prof. Erman Akıllı shared their views on Türkiye’s role in NATO, the development of its defence industry, the challenges facing the Alliance in the changing security environment, and the need for international regulations regarding the responsible use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.