President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Presidential Complex.
During the meeting, preparations for the NATO Leaders’ Summit to be held in Ankara, issues on the NATO agenda, as well as regional and global developments were discussed.
Stating that the instability in the region has once again demonstrated the importance of mutual assistance and solidarity among NATO Allies, President Erdoğan expressed his expectation that decisions will be taken at the Ankara Summit to strengthen solidarity among Allies and to support the Alliance’s permanent readiness to respond to crises.
President Erdoğan noted that Türkiye is continuously enhancing its capabilities in the defense industry, particularly in air defense systems, and that it aims to further develop cooperation with allied countries in this area.
Emphasizing that the preservation of the Transatlantic bond is indispensable, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye expects Europe’s Allies within the Alliance to assume greater responsibility, adding that excluding non-European Union European allies from the Union’s defense initiatives would not serve the purpose.
President Erdoğan also stated that Türkiye positions itself on the side of peace and diplomacy since the start of the process triggered by attacks on Iran.
In the meeting, President Erdoğan noted that Türkiye is actively engaged in efforts to ensure that the Russia–Ukraine War also ends in peace, and that these efforts are ongoing to revitalize negotiations and enable leaders' level talks.
The meeting between President Erdoğan and Secretary General Rutte provided a comprehensive assessment of the preparations for the NATO Ankara Summit.
