President Erdoğan conducted an intensive diplomacy traffic at the NATO Summit. Within the scope of the summit, President Erdoğan met with many leaders including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Before the summit, Erdoğan received Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, evaluating Turkey's role within NATO, regional security, and bilateral relations.
Trump and the F-35 and defense industry agenda
Hosting US President Donald Trump at the Presidential Complex with an official ceremony, President Erdoğan discussed bilateral relations, especially defense industry cooperation. Erdoğan recalled previous commitments regarding F-35 fighter jets and expressed hope for positive results from the meetings held within the scope of the NATO Summit.
Security agreement between Turkey and the United Kingdom
During President Erdoğan's meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a Security and Defense Partnership Document was signed between the two countries. With the document, the mutual defense commitments of Turkey and the United Kingdom within the framework of NATO were confirmed once again.
Regional crises on the agenda
In his meetings with leaders, President Erdoğan also evaluated the achievement of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the process between Iran and the US, the Ukraine war, and developments in Syria. Stressing that Turkey is in favor of a solution based on dialogue and diplomacy regarding both Ukraine and Iran, Erdoğan stated that efforts to ensure uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza continue. In his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, he stated that Turkey's support for Syria's reconstruction and stability will continue.
Relations with the EU also discussed
Following the summit, President Erdoğan evaluated Turkey-EU relations at a working dinner attended by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Erdoğan drew attention to Turkey's strategic position in Europe's production and supply chain and stated that new steps to be taken by the EU in trade and investment should also include Turkey.
Emphasis on Turkey in NATO
In his meetings, President Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey is one of the strong and reliable allies of NATO and reiterated its support for strengthening European security, increasing cooperation in the defense industry, and improving alliance solidarity. It was assessed that the contacts held within the scope of the summit once again revealed Turkey's diplomatic initiatives and active role in the field of international security.
