Erdoğan holds calls with Spanish, Latvian leaders

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held phone calls with his Latvian counterpart, Edgars Rinkevics, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on July 21.

During the call with Sanchez, the two leaders discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments, according to a readout shared by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

Erdoğan said he was particularly moved by the joy of the people of Gaza, who celebrated Spain’s World Cup championship despite the devastation caused by Israel’s attacks.

He said Spain’s “conscientious and moral” stance on the Palestinian issue had also resonated with football fans around the world.

The president also expressed his pleasure at hosting Sanchez during the NATO summit in Ankara and said he looked forward to welcoming the Spanish premier to Türkiye again in early 2027 for an intergovernmental summit.

Earlier in the day, Erdoğan held a separate phone call with Rinkevics to discuss bilateral ties, NATO cooperation, as well as regional and global developments.

During the call, Erdoğan said Türkiye attaches great importance to the security of the Baltic region within NATO and has intensified its contributions in this regard, according to a readout.

Erdoğan also expressed hope that the decisions adopted at the “historic” NATO gathering in Ankara would produce positive outcomes.

He also underlined his desire to further strengthen cooperation between Türkiye and Latvia across a range of areas, particularly in the defense industry, the statement said.