Türkiye’s NATO envoy: Solidarity is main expectation from Ankara summit

The primary expectation from the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara is a clear demonstration of unity and solidarity among allies, said Türkiye's Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Basat Öztürk. "Türkiye's as well as all allies' collective objective and expectation is to clearly reaffirm unity, solidarity and cohesion among allies. This is the number one expectation," Öztürk told Anadolu at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Summit preparations and Trump’s attendance

Öztürk said extensive preparations have been made for the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, to be hosted by Türkiye in Ankara on July 7-8, and that the logistical and infrastructure work would set a new benchmark for future NATO summits. He stressed that unity, solidarity and cohesion should be reflected not only in political statements but also in the successful outcome of the meeting. "Undoubtedly, the fact that US President Donald Trump will attend the summit and has stated that he is doing so out of respect for our President is very important. This situation shows everyone the weight of our president and that our country will host the summit very effectively," he said.

Türkiye’s special place and NATO 3.0

Öztürk highlighted Türkiye’s long-standing membership, operational experience, and military capabilities, as well as its defence industry progress, including participation in NATO exercises. Addressing the concept of “NATO 3.0,” he said the vision seeks greater responsibility from European allies as US contributions shift, adding that creating a separate EU security and defence mechanism was not the solution. He stressed the significance of the NATO Defence Industry Forum to be held during the summit, where new joint projects and contracts are expected to be announced.