NATO chief to meet Erdoğan in Ankara ahead of key meeting
ANKARA
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will pay a visit to the Turkish capital on May 13 to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the informal foreign ministers’ meeting in Antalya, his office has announced.
“The Secretary General will meet the President, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in Ankara,” read the statement issued by NATO on May 12.
Erdoğan and Rutte will hold a meeting over the agenda of the NATO informal meeting to take place in the Turkish resort city of Antalya between May 14 and 15.
The meeting between the two men comes amid hopes for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which would be followed by direct talks in Istanbul.
Erdoğan and Rutte will also discuss the issues on the agenda of the foreign ministers’ meeting, including reshaping European security, the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU, as well as increasing defense spending of the allied nations.
The ministers will also prepare the leaders’ summit to be held in The Hague on June 24 and 25.
US top diplomat set for first visit to Türkiye
Representatives from all 32 NATO member states are expected to attend the meeting in Antalya hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The NATO meeting in the Turkish city will also welcome U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his first visit to Türkiye since he took office in January.
Rubio will accompany U.S. President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia and Qatar between May 11 and 14, where the president “will look to strengthen ties between the United States and Gulf partners,” according to the statement.
Following the Gulf visit, the top U.S. diplomat will head to the Turkish Mediterranean city from May 14 to 16 to attend the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting.
Rubio will join his counterparts “to discuss security priorities for the alliance, including increased allied defense investment and ending the Russia-Ukraine war,” the statement said.
“Looking towards the NATO Summit in The Hague this June, the Secretary will advance President Trump’s agenda of ensuring that our Allies contribute their fair share to making NATO stronger and more effective,” it added.
