Table where Türkiye spoke through its cuisine

EBRU ERKE

At the NATO summit in Ankara, world leaders gathered to discuss security and diplomacy. Yet the most memorable message may have been delivered not in the meeting rooms, but at the dining table. Through carefully selected regional ingredients, celebrated chefs and centuries-old recipes, Türkiye presented its culinary heritage as a powerful tool of cultural diplomacy

“Give me good chefs, and I will give you good agreements.” This famous quote, attributed to the French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, is perhaps the most enduring definition of what we now call gastrodiplomacy. For centuries, nations have understood that some of their strongest messages are conveyed not across negotiating tables, but around dining tables. The recent NATO Summit in Ankara became one of the finest contemporary examples of this principle. While world leaders gathered at the Presidential Complex to discuss security, defense and the future of the world, every dish served before them told another story — one of Türkiye’s thousands of years of culinary heritage, its agricultural richness, its remarkable regional diversity and its gastronomic vision.

In recent years, many countries have come to view gastronomy not merely as part of their culinary culture, but as a powerful instrument of foreign policy and cultural diplomacy. Today, this approach is widely known as gastrodiplomacy. A carefully curated meal has become one of the most effective ways for a nation to present its agriculture, local producers, cultural identity and way of life to the world.

The tables set in Ankara demonstrated that Türkiye is now speaking the same gastronomic language as the world’s leading nations, presenting an essential part of its national identity with confidence and sophistication. The fact that all three official meals conveyed the same narrative was perhaps the clearest indication of this vision. The gala dinner for heads of state at the Presidential Complex was created by Chef Fatih Tutak. The official dinner for the international delegations was prepared by Chef Sinem Özler. The following day, the luncheon hosted for the First Ladies bore the signature of Chef Osman Sezener. Three distinguished chefs, three different tables—yet one shared philosophy.

In my opinion, the greatest strength of these menus extended far beyond their culinary excellence. Their true achievement lay in presenting ingredients together with their origins and identities. Trabzon butter, Hizan wildflower honey, Urla mastic artichokes, Tokat vine leaves, Ayaş tomato paste, Erzincan Tulum cheese, Çeşme mastic and Maraş ice cream… Together, these ingredients formed nothing less than a culinary map of Anatolia. In gastronomy, provenance is regarded as an inseparable part of flavor. Identifying where an ingredient comes from is never simply providing information; it is about giving visibility to the land, the producer and the culture behind it. That is precisely what these NATO tables accomplished.

Another detail that particularly caught my attention was the deliberate decision not to translate the names of traditional regional dishes. Haydari remained Haydari. Hibeş remained Hibeş. Mantı remained Mantı. Tarhana remained Tarhana. One of the fundamental principles of contemporary gastronomy is to preserve the authentic identity of both ingredients and dishes. Their names represent not only food but also the cultures from which they originate. Presenting the vocabulary of Turkish cuisine to the world with the same confidence was, in my view, an entirely appropriate and meaningful choice.

Another noteworthy aspect of the menus was that a significant proportion of the ingredients had been carefully sourced from producers across different regions of Türkiye. This was not merely a pursuit of quality, but also a powerful statement of support for local producers and regional agriculture.

Among the highlights of the official dinner held on the evening of 7 July for the international delegations was Chef Sinem Özler’s exceptionally delicate Seraf İçli Köfte, which, according to those in attendance, became one of the most talked-about dishes of the evening. The following day, Chef Osman Sezener continued telling the story of Anatolia through seven regional mezze served to the First Ladies, alongside dishes such as Urla artichokes with Gambilya fava beans, beef short ribs and freekeh keşkek.

Türkiye is now speaking through its cuisine as well. Seeing internationally acclaimed chefs such as Fatih Tutak, Sinem Özler and Osman Sezener entrusted with the country’s official state tables was deeply significant. Today, nations are represented not only by their politicians but also by their chefs, their producers and their culinary heritage. The fact that Turkish gastronomy has been transformed into such a thoughtful, cohesive and powerful instrument of cultural diplomacy marks an important milestone for the country’s international identity.