Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara on Wednesday, calling for stronger alliance solidarity and greater preparedness against growing regional and global crises ahead of the NATO Leaders’ Summit to be held in the Turkish capital.
The meeting at the Presidential Complex focused on preparations for the upcoming summit, key items on NATO’s agenda, and major regional and international developments, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
Erdogan said the increasingly unstable environment in the region had once again highlighted the importance of mutual assistance and solidarity among NATO allies.
He said he expected the Ankara summit to produce decisions that would reinforce unity among member states and strengthen the alliance’s readiness to respond to crises at all times.
Türkiye pushes stronger defence cooperation
Erdogan also underlined Türkiye’s growing defence capabilities, particularly in air defence systems, saying Ankara continues to expand its domestic defence industry and aims to deepen cooperation with allied countries in the sector.
He stressed that preserving the trans-Atlantic bond remains indispensable for NATO’s long-term strength and said European allies should take on greater responsibility within the alliance.
At the same time, Erdogan warned that excluding non-EU European NATO members from the European Union’s defence initiatives would not serve the alliance’s broader strategic goals.
Peace message on Iran, Ukraine
During the talks, Erdogan said Türkiye had positioned itself on the side of peace and diplomacy following the attacks on Iran and the regional escalation that followed.
He also reiterated Ankara’s efforts to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy, saying Türkiye is working to revive negotiations and help launch direct talks at the leaders’ level.
Erdogan and Rutte held a comprehensive review of preparations for the NATO Ankara Summit, which is expected to be a major platform for shaping the alliance’s next strategic steps amid rising security challenges across Europe and the Middle East.
