The NATO parliamentary summit will convene in Istanbul on June 28–29 June, hosted by Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, bringing together parliamentary leaders from allied countries ahead of the leaders’ summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara.
The summit is expected to host 20 parliamentary speakers, three deputy speakers, as well as senior representatives from international organizations, including NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Marcos Perestrello and NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Shekerinska.
The gathering, held in coordination with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, has been organized annually since 2024 with host countries to reinforce parliamentary alignment within the alliance.
Kurtulmuş will hold talks with the parliament speaker on June 28.
The main session of the NATO parliamentary summit will take place on June 29 at Dolmabahçe Palace, where speakers and delegation heads are expected to deliver speeches.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to attend an official luncheon and deliver an address.
As part of the program, delegates will also visit the facility of the Turkish defense firm Baykar for a field briefing on its activities, defense technology projects and innovation-driven programs.
Speaking to the Turkish media ahead of the gathering in Istanbul, NATO Parliamentary Secretary-Geenral Benedetta Berti praised Türkiye’s role within the alliance.
She said Türkiye, a NATO member since 1952, remains a “core ally” with significant contributions across defense spending, military capability, and operational engagement.
Berti noted that Türkiye allocates over 2 percent of its GDP to defense and possesses “substantial military capacity,” emphasizing that NATO evaluates allies based on resources, capabilities, and contributions.
She added that Türkiye performs strongly across all three dimensions.
