The Directorate of Communications organised a panel titled “Managing Strategic Uncertainties Ahead of the Ankara Summit” in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, in cooperation with the Atlantic Council of Finland.
Ahead of the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, which will take place in Ankara on 7–8 July 2026, the Directorate of Communications of the Republic of Türkiye has been organising NATO-focused programmes in the capitals of NATO member states. Conducted in cooperation with leading think tanks in those countries, the series has previously been held in Madrid, Paris, London, Warsaw, Washington, Rome, and Brussels.
The eighth event in the series was held on 9 June 2026 in Helsinki, Finland, in cooperation with the Atlantic Council of Finland.
The first part of the programme took place in the morning at the Official Residence of the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Helsinki, hosted by Ambassador Deniz Çakar. During the meeting, members of the press were briefed, and questions were answered regarding Türkiye’s approach to NATO, current international issues, and the upcoming NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara.
The second part of the programme featured a panel discussion titled "Managing Strategic Uncertainties Ahead of the Ankara Summit." The opening remarks of the programme were delivered by Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Finland, Deniz Çakar, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Finland and Board Member of the Atlantic Council of Finland, Janne Kuusela, while Presidency's Head of Communications Prof. Burhanettin Duran addressed participants via video message.
The panel was moderated by the Vice President of the Atlantic Council of Finland and Leadership Consultant at Patria Defence Industry Company, Esa Rautalinko. The speakers included Konya MP and Member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ziya Altunyaldız; Finland’s first Permanent Representative to NATO and Member of the Board of the Atlantic Council of Finland Ambassador Klaus Korhonen; SETA Washington D.C. Coordinator Dr Kadir Üstün; and Member of the Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council Prof. Kılıç Buğra Kanat.
The panel brought together a broad and distinguished audience of diplomatic and military representatives, including ambassadors from various countries serving in Helsinki, security and foreign policy experts, academics, and members of the press.
The panel comprehensively discussed Türkiye's and NATO's strategic roles in light of developments in the global security environment, as well as Türkiye's contributions to the Alliance. Recent developments concerning the security risks confronting NATO and its future were also discussed. The speakers conveyed their anticipations for the NATO Summit scheduled for Ankara in July 2026, the probable trajectories the Alliance may pursue in the near future, and their perspectives on Türkiye’s potential roles within the European security framework.
