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The Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) held a series of meetings in Washington as part of the annual Transatlantic Forum, focusing on defense spending, security challenges, and NATO priorities, the delegation head and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Antalya Deputy Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
Cavusoglu said the delegation assessed major items on NATO’s agenda, including the goal of reaching 5% defense spending, defense industry innovation, joint production, and the removal of trade barriers on defense products.
He emphasized that restrictions imposed among allies contradict NATO’s spirit of solidarity, adding, “Türkiye also faces certain restrictions. Türkiye has important points to make regarding crises in our region and beyond because it contributes significantly to their resolution.”
The delegation discussed mediation initiatives and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine–Russia peace plan.
Cavusoglu said the U.S. security strategy paper was also raised, noting that European representatives voiced discomfort with aspects of the document.
Delegation members held bilateral meetings with officials from several countries, including U.S. lawmakers.
“We observed that the atmosphere in Congress is increasingly turning in Türkiye’s favor. During our talks, we reminded members of Congress that the decisions made during President Erdogan’s meeting with President Trump should be supported,” Cavusoglu stated.
Cavusoglu highlighted that Türkiye will host the NATO Summit on July 7–8 in Ankara under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chairmanship.
The NATO Parliamentary Summit will also take place in Türkiye next year.
He added that a multi-party Turkish delegation will continue holding bilateral meetings with U.S. legislators during the trip.
The delegation included AK Party deputies Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu, Mehmet Ali Celebi, Erkan Kandemir, and Oguz Ucuncu; CHP deputies Fethi Acikel and Faik Oztrak; MHP Deputy Chairman Mevlut Karakaya; DEM Party Deputy Berdan Ozturk; and Yeni Yol Party Deputy Mustafa Kaya.
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