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Türkiye will host the 2026 NATO leaders' summit in Ankara and prepare the ground for "very important" decisions, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Monday following a Cabinet meeting.
"The 2026 NATO Heads of State and Government Summit will be hosted by Türkiye in July. On this occasion, we will host NATO leaders in our capital Ankara and prepare the ground for very important decisions to be taken," Erdogan said.
Erdogan recalled his participation in the NATO Leaders Summit held in The Hague on June 24-25, where alliance members decided to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035.
He noted that the allies also reflected their intention to remove barriers to trade of defense industry products in alliance documents.
The president said he met with several leaders during the summit, including U.S. President Donald Trump, to discuss bilateral relations and current issues. In both closed meetings and discussions with leaders, he drew attention to the ongoing violence in Gaza that has continued for 21 months.
"The importance of The Hague summit for us was the determination of our country as the next summit address," Erdogan stated.
Erdogan expressed satisfaction with the progress made in a short time as part of the terror-free Türkiye process, which he described as a state project being conducted meticulously in coordination with relevant units.
"It appears that certain elements within our country and within the organization (PKK terrorist organization) are pursuing sabotage efforts aimed at dynamiting progress. Our state will not fall into traps," Erdogan said.
He warned against provocations, stating: "When there is an attack on our nation's peace or an aggressive move towards our national security, let it be known that we will not spare anyone's tears, we will crush the heads of the aggressors one by one."
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people in its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye. The YPG/PYD is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
Erdogan highlighted the government's support for the agricultural sector, noting that Turkish state-owned Ziraat Bank's total agricultural credits exceed ₺700 billion ($17.5 billion), with more than 90% consisting of state-subsidized loans.
"The state covers an average of 70% of the interest for farmers who use discounted agricultural loans from the bank," he said.
The president also mentioned support for farmers affected by the agricultural frost in April, with damage compensation payments beginning under the Agricultural Insurance Pool (TARSIM) and plans to cover farmers' losses by November.
Addressing the increase in forest fires with the arrival of summer, Erdogan reported that 1,516 fires have occurred since June 1, with 1,507 brought under control.
Aircraft and helicopters have made 10,260 sorties, dropping 33,200 tons of water.
"Thirty-one people identified as responsible for fires have been detained, 10 of them have been arrested, while 10 were released under judicial measures," Erdogan said.
Nine fires are currently being intensively combated in various locations, including Izmir Menderes and Seferihisar, Manisa Akhisar, Hatay Antakya, Aydin Sultanhisar, and Mugla Bodrum. Fires in Sakarya, Bilecik, Balikesir Bigadic, and Mersin Bozyazi have been partially controlled with cooling operations ongoing.
The response effort includes 27 aircraft, 105 helicopters, 14 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), nearly 6,000 water tankers and first response vehicles, and 25,000 forest personnel working in close cooperation with ministries, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), and fire departments.
"In July and August, with rising temperatures and increasingly dry weather, the fire risk will increase further," Erdogan warned, noting that almost all forest fires are human-caused and urging maximum caution from citizens over the next two months.
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