The 2026 NATO summit in Ankara was not all about politics; one aspect that made headlines was gastronomy. The summit presented a great opportunity to showcase Turkish cuisine on the international stage. State dinners and receptions at international platforms or bilateral meetings also provide opportunities to display gastronomic diplomacy. Throughout history, state dinners have always aimed to impress foreign guests. Messages are conveyed through these meals, sometimes appearing as subtle gestures, and at other times, turning into displays of power. Occasionally, when dinners are held in honor of a guest, the dishes are named accordingly. For instance, at the dinner hosted by Atatürk at Ankara Palas in 1934 in honor of Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, the menu featured dishes referencing both the host and guest countries, Türkiye and Sweden. The meal began with “Creamy Çankaya Soup” and concluded with “Stockholm Ice Cream,” carefully striking a balance between the two countries in the presentation of the dishes.
Displaying diversity
Protocol events can sometimes serve as a promotional tool. Thus, a significant opportunity to promote Turkish cuisine was effectively capitalized on at the Ankara summit, where a series of gala dinners and receptions were held over the course of four days, including special events for delegations, VIP guests, press groups, leaders and their spouses. A total of over 20,000 meals were served — effectively creating a showcase of Turkish cuisine. Gastronomy now ranks among the foremost elements of “soft power” used in promoting nations. For this reason, food culture has become one of the key tools for reflecting a country’s cultural diversity and richness.
From this perspective, we can say that this important opportunity was well utilized during the NATO Summit events. The selected dishes and ingredients aimed to display the cultural diversity from all corners of the country; taken together, all the food served was to demonstrate how rich a cultural mosaic Türkiye forms. The accumulation of thousands of years of historical heritage is evident in its culinary culture, showcasing culinary kinship that extends beyond the borders of Thrace and Anatolia. From this perspective, it was cultural diversity that left its mark on the NATO summit. In a sense, Türkiye was officially portrayed through its cuisine, which encompasses a wide variety of distinct flavors and an incredible cultural mosaic.
Locality, seasonality and sustainability
Three prominent chefs took charge of the major gala dinners and receptions around a shared culinary concept. The two-Michelin-starred Fatih Tutak of TURK prepared the leaders’ dinner, while Osman Sezener — who holds one Michelin star each for Od Urla and The Kitchen in Bodrum — crafted the dinner for the first ladies and managed the National Library receptions. Additionally, Michelin-recommended Sinem Özler of Seraf Vadi prepared the 300-guest dinner for the international delegations.
The selection of dishes followed certain common principles. Emphasis was on three main pillars: Locality, seasonality and sustainability. All three chefs created menus that aligned with these principles. Seasonality and sustainability are closely related concepts. Consequently, fresh greens, seasonal vegetables and fruits were featured prominently on the menu selections. Courgette blossoms, vine leaves, purslane, baby artichokes, young peas and fava beans were among repeated choices of seasonal vegetables and greens on the table. All chefs gave special prominence to seasonal olive oil–based vegetable dishes. Considering the global rise of plant-based foods, Turkish cuisine’s selection of olive oil-based dishes was an exceptionally fitting choice to showcase its strength in vegan and vegetarian cuisine. The menus incorporated the flavors of different regions in two ways: Through regional products from all corners of Türkiye and through regional specialties. All chefs took ultimate care to indicate the source of the local produce, and they also paid attention to display a variety of cooking techniques from the vast geography of the country.
Smoke gets in your eyes
While the NATO summit was all about discussing war and weapons, and the talk of the final day was the personalized gun gifted to each leader, the choice of certain dishes also accentuated fire and smoke. Perhaps not intentionally but leaving a taste of smoke and fire on the palates of leaders. Smoked, charred and burnt smoky-flavored dishes were predominant at some tables, and one particular taste, the smoky burnt yogurt, was the one that stood out and caught people’s attention. Fatih Tutak chose Denizli’s unusually smoky burnt yogurt, which has a geographical indication received in 2024 following an application by the Tavas Municipality. Turkish cuisine is definitely strong in the use of yogurt in diverse ways, having delicious and intriguing yogurt variations and their use in regional dishes, but this one is a relatively lesser-known but one of the most distinctive. Smoky milk flavors are a key feature of Yörük cuisine, originally nomadic Turks.
Although there is a common belief that the yogurt acquires its smoky aroma from milk boiled over a wood fire, the actual technique is much more intricate. An unexpected method is actually used to achieve this strange burnt flavor. A copper cauldron is first heated over the fire; when the sheep’s milk is poured into this red-hot vessel, it takes on the desired slightly smoky flavor from the milk that catches the bottom. To ensure the yogurt has the right consistency, the milk is boiled over the fire until it thickens; then, once the milk has slightly cooled, it is cultured to make yogurt. An extremely complex and surprising aroma emerges from the components of the milk — specifically, the fat content of the sheep’s milk, lactose, the milk sugar, and the milk protein casein — as they caramelize. The result is a culinary delight. Playing with fire can work wonders in culinary circles, but let’s leave it at that. The message at the table should be peace, displayed through a mosaic of cultural diversity, where everyone can come together, sharing food at one united table.
