Emine Erdoğan emphasizes unity after official NATO summit dinner

First Lady Emine Erdoğan on Tuesday said she was honored to welcome NATO leaders and their spouses to an official dinner held during the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, expressing hope that the gathering would strengthen dialogue and consensus as the alliance confronts growing global challenges.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Emine Erdoğan hosted the official dinner on Monday evening at the Presidential Complex as part of the summit’s high-level program, bringing together heads of state, government leaders and their spouses attending the two-day NATO meeting.

In a statement shared on her NSosyal account, Emine Erdoğan reflected on Türkiye’s role as host and emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing common international challenges.

“We were greatly pleased to host the heads of state and government and their esteemed spouses at the official dinner on the occasion of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, hosted by our country. At a time when efforts to find solutions to the world’s common problems are gaining momentum, I hope this important summit will further advance the culture of dialogue and consensus,” she said.

The 36th NATO Summit, held July 7-8 in Ankara, marks the second time Türkiye has hosted the alliance’s leaders following the 2004 summit in Istanbul.

The meeting has brought together leaders from NATO’s member states to discuss some of the alliance’s most pressing security and defense priorities.

Among the key issues on the agenda are increasing defense spending, expanding military production and industrial capacity, strengthening collective security, sharing defense responsibilities among allies, continuing support for Ukraine, and reinforcing alliance unity amid an increasingly volatile global security environment.

The summit has also provided a platform for a series of bilateral meetings between participating leaders. U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other NATO leaders are taking part in discussions centered on transatlantic security, European defense cooperation and regional stability.

Alongside the political meetings, the summit’s opening day featured a Defense Industry Forum, underscoring Türkiye’s expanding role in NATO’s defense industry and its position as one of the alliance’s key military contributors.

While the summit’s primary focus remains on defense and security policy, the official dinner and accompanying spouses’ program served as an important diplomatic event, highlighting the role of hospitality and informal engagement in fostering closer relations among allied nations.

DAILYSABAH