Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler met NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara on April 21 during the NATO chief’s official visit to Türkiye, the ministry said.
In a brief statement shared on its NSosyal account, the ministry said the two held talks at the National Defense Ministry and released photographs from the meeting.
No further details were immediately provided on the content of the meeting.
Rutte’s visit comes ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8.
NATO announced in August 2025 that the meeting would take place at the Beştepe Presidential Compound, marking the second time Türkiye will host a NATO summit after Istanbul in 2004.
According to NATO, Rutte’s Ankara program includes meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Talks in Ankara were expected to cover summit preparations as well as recent developments in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.
