Ankara has become the center of world politics — a two-day summit of the North Atlantic Alliance has kicked off in Turkey.
For the second time, following Istanbul-2004, Turkey is hosting NATO heads of state and government — representatives of 32 alliance member states and 9 invited nations.
The leaders of the “European Quint” (E5: Donald Trump (USA), Emmanuel Macron (France); Friedrich Merz (Germany); Giorgia Meloni (Italy); Donald Tusk (Poland); Keir Starmer (UK) met in Berlin on June 24 and aligned their priorities, particularly regarding support guarantees for Ukraine.
Key agenda topics include threats and challenges to the Euro-Atlantic region, the situation in Ukraine and the bloc’s southern flank, increasing defense investments, and scaling up weapons production, specifically long-range missiles and air defense systems.
- Unprecedented security measures have been introduced in Ankara:
- Commercial flight operations at the airport have been restricted;
- Roads near the Presidential Complex, the ATO Congresium center, and delegation hotels have been closed;
- Approximately 56,000 security personnel have been deployed;
- 639 additional cybersecurity experts have been brought in for 24/7 monitoring;
- Reconstruction of the military airfield and new roads has been completed.
Ukraine expects decisions that will provide more protection, more defense capabilities, and even stronger security cooperation between Ukraine, Europe, and America. President Zelenskyy has nearly two dozen bilateral meetings scheduled with leaders, along with new Drone Deals and other agreements with partners to strengthen air defense. New systems, missiles for them, and production license issues — all of these are our priority.
On Wednesday, the meeting between Erdogan and Trump is expected to focus on bilateral relations and issues on the NATO agenda. Trump is scheduled to attend the official welcoming ceremony, participate in the family photo session, join the leaders’ working session, and hold separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Earlier today, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency’s Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF26) took place as part of the summit. The Vice President of Turkey urged NATO allies to lift all trade restrictions and sanctions in the defense sector, stating that they weaken the Alliance’s collective security and hinder the development of production potential. “Five Turkish companies are among the world’s top one hundred largest defense companies. The level of defense industry development we have achieved is by no means accidental. Turkey has made such progress thanks to the joint efforts of the public and private sectors, as well as the involvement of defense enterprises in this process. NATO’s new industrial cooperation strategy, presented today by the Secretary General, actually points to precisely this approach,” Cevdet Yılmaz said.
The resilience of the defense industry is no longer the exclusive prerogative of governments and companies. Achieving success in this area is only possible through the involvement of all sectors of society — universities, the financial sector, human resources, and other stakeholders. The Vice President also emphasized that this entire system relies primarily on human potential. The average age of defense industry workers in Turkey is 34, and half of the engineers are women. “This proves that the future belongs to us,” Yılmaz stated.
The evening program includes an official reception and dinner for heads of delegations and their spouses hosted by the President of Turkey, as well as a working dinner for the Alliance’s defense ministers.
Photo: from open sources