An opening reception was held as part of the "NATO Summit Dialogues" event, organised by the Turkish Atlantic Council (ATA Türkiye) in cooperation with the Hariciye Foreign Policy and Security Research Center.
The reception, held in Ankara, featured remarks by Ambassador Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, former Permanent Representative of Türkiye to NATO and President of ATA Türkiye; Emin Abbas Gürbüz, Secretary General of ATA Türkiye; and Theodossios Georgiou, President of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA).
Ambassador Ceylan referred to the panel discussions and roundtable meetings that would be held on 7 July as part of the "NATO Summit Dialogues", jointly organised by ATA Türkiye and the Hariciye Foreign Policy and Security Research Center.
Emphasising the significance of these meetings, Ceylan underlined the historic importance of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit to be hosted by Türkiye on 7–8 July.
Noting that global challenges continue to persist, Ceylan said, "This time, there is an internal challenge that we must overcome. We hope that we will be able to overcome it through the negotiations to be held tomorrow and the following day."
The importance of public understanding of NATO
President of the Atlantic Treaty Association, Theodossios Georgiou, stated that the Association seeks to "engage" citizens and raise public awareness. “In democratic societies, there is no other way for governments to legitimise an organisation such as NATO. If people do not understand what we are trying to achieve, and if they do not understand why resources are being allocated to defence and other priorities, that is not in the interest of the Alliance, governments, or the international community," he said.
Georgiou noted that the NATO summit in Ankara was so important because it highlighted the need to educate young people about security issues and encouraged citizens to take an interest in international security.
Georgiou said that he expected a major transformation within NATO, emphasising that this would only be possible if countries realised the need to cooperate, led by the right leaders who trusted one another.
Gürbüz also argued that the world is facing inflation and rising tensions, saying, "Conflicts are flaring up again all over the world. These days, we feel just as we did in the early 20th century, before the First World War. But thankfully we are not in the same situation as we were before the First World War. Thanks to NATO, we have a free world."
Drawing attention to the fact that NATO stands united and prosperous despite all the differences among its members, Gürbüz stated that the alliance would protect its members from any kind of conflict.
The historical importance of the NATO Leaders' Summit on 7-8 July
Speaking to an AA correspondent following the opening ceremony, Ceylan described the NATO Summit, to be held on 7–8 July, as one of the most significant and historic summits of recent years.
Ceylan, noting that NATO is facing various challenges, said, "The war in Ukraine is still ongoing, and it appears that new balances of power will emerge in the Middle East following the war launched by the US-Israel alliance against Iran; consequently, the alliance faces serious risks from both the east and the south."
Emphasising that this situation is of particular concern to European security, Ceylan stated that, as ATA Türkiye, they had brought together the Atlantic councils and associations of various NATO countries. Ceylan stated that the aim was for them to share their views on this summit and their countries’ perspectives.