Communications director says Ankara summit showed Türkiye’s active diplomacy

ANKARA

A woman walks down steps next to the NATO logo during the NATO Defense Industry Forum at the NATO summit in Ankara, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo)

Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said on July 9 that the NATO summit in Ankara showed Türkiye’s active role in strengthening international peace, security and stability.

“The intensive diplomatic engagements carried out since Monday as part of the NATO Ankara Summit have once again demonstrated Türkiye’s active role, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in strengthening international peace, security and stability,” Duran wrote on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Duran said Erdoğan delivered important messages during the summit and held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

He said the meetings covered bilateral relations, defense industry cooperation, trade, security, the European security architecture and regional and global developments.

“Our president once again underlined Türkiye’s contributions to Europe’s security and emphasized the importance it attaches to strengthening NATO’s European pillar and preserving the transatlantic bond,” Duran said.

He said the meetings also addressed efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, end the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy, preserve the understanding reached between Iran and the United States and establish stability in Syria.

Duran described the signing of the Security and Defense Partnership Agreement between Türkiye and the United Kingdom as an important step toward strengthening strategic cooperation.

He said Erdoğan had stressed at his summit press conference that Türkiye would continue its active diplomacy and cooperation with allies in line with its approach to peace, stability and shared security.

Duran also said Erdoğan met on Thursday with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Those meetings focused on opportunities to improve bilateral ties and cooperation in trade, defense, security and energy, he said.

The two-day NATO summit in Ankara brought together leaders from the alliance’s 32 member states and key partners.