On the occasion of the meeting between our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada on the margins of the NATO Summit (#NATOsummit) in Türkiye on 7 July 2026, the Leaders are pleased to announce the official launch of Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Türkiye and Canada. In early June 2026, Trade Ministers Bolat and Sidhu issued a Joint Ministerial Statement on Economic Partnership, and announced the launch of exploratory discussions toward a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The aforementioned announcement reflects the shared will and recognition of the significant potential to...
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The Presidency's Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, condemned the bomb attacks that took place in Damascus in a post on his NSosyal account, reaffirming that Türkiye would continue to support Syria’s stability and security. In his post, Head of Communications Duran said: “I strongly condemn the bomb attacks that took place in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Any act of terrorism targeting Syria's peace, security, and stability constitutes a threat not only to Syria but also to the shared future of our region. There can be no legitimacy for violence and terrorism. Under the leadership of our...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with President Alexander Stubb of Finland, who is in Türkiye for the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, at the Presidential Complex. The leaders discussed Türkiye-Finland bilateral relations as well as regional and global matters. Noting that it was pleasing that trade relations between Türkiye and Finland had gained momentum, President Erdoğan added that we would continue to work to advance cooperation. Highlighting the importance of strongly demonstrating Alliance solidarity at NATO’s Ankara Summit, President Erdoğan said that Türkiye’s potential contribution to the European...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, who is in Türkiye for the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, at the Presidential Complex. The meeting addressed Türkiye-Canada bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments. President Erdoğan stated that in the new period, increasing efforts to develop Türkiye-Canada relations in many areas, particularly trade, security, defence industry and energy, and making use of cooperation potentials would benefit both countries. Emphasising that, as Türkiye, we advocate strengthening NATO’s European pillar, but that this cannot replace the ...
Head of Communications Duran stated, "These changes require NATO Allies to reassess emerging threat perceptions and redefine their collective priorities. In this regard, the Ankara Summit represents another turning point in NATO’s historical evolution." Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran participated in the "Allies in Ankara" programme, organised at Ankara Palas by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications in cooperation with the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), as part of the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. In his remarks, Head of Communications Duran noted that Türkiye is hosting...
Minister Güler said, "We welcome Europe contributing more strongly to defence. However, this contribution should not compete with NATO; it should strengthen it." Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler participated in the "Allies in Ankara" programme organised by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications in cooperation with the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), as part of the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. Speaking at the programme, Minister Güler said that since its establishment, NATO has been more than a military alliance; it is the institutional manifestation...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who is in Türkiye for the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, at the Presidential Complex. The meeting addressed the agenda of the Ankara NATO Summit, as well as regional and global developments. Expressing his hope that the NATO Leaders’ Summit to be held in Türkiye would yield beneficial outcomes, President Erdoğan emphasised that Türkiye has completed all preparations for the Summit. President Erdoğan noted the importance of addressing a wide range of issues at the Ankara Summit, from collective defence...
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke to the press at the Presidential Complex ahead of the 36th Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government, which will be hosted by the capital Ankara. He emphasised that Canada and Europe have boosted their defence spending to 4 per cent in accordance with their commitments, which is critical both for their own security and the alliance's overall security. Rutte noted, "Europe and Canada boosted their core defence spending by 20 per cent last year compared to the previous year. The rise for 2025 and 2026 totals an additional 258 billion American dollars, and it will continue. We...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Prime Minister Rumen Radev of Bulgaria, who is in Türkiye for the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, at the Presidential Complex. The leaders discussed Türkiye–Bulgaria bilateral relations, as well as regional and global developments. President Erdoğan stated during the meeting that relations between Türkiye and Bulgaria continue to advance in a multidimensional way, adding that efforts will continue to expand cooperation across a broad range of areas, particularly trade, transportation, the defence industry, and energy. Further noting that the Turks in Bulgaria strengthen the bond...