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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting (NATO iFMM) in Antalya on May 14–15, ahead of the NATO Leaders’ Summit scheduled for June in The Hague.
According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the informal meeting will bring together representatives from all 32 NATO member states. These pre-summit consultations offer allies the opportunity to exchange views on pressing issues ahead of formal high-level gatherings.
The meeting will serve as a preparatory platform for the NATO Leaders' Summit to be held in The Hague on June 24–25.
On the evening of May 14, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and foreign ministers from member countries are expected to participate in a social event hosted by Minister Fidan.
An informal session of the North Atlantic Council will follow on the morning of May 15. This session will focus on core agenda items and potential decisions for the upcoming summit.
Topics to be discussed include the future of European security and the rebalancing of transatlantic burden sharing.
Minister Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of reinforcing NATO’s strength, effectiveness, and deterrence capability while preserving its foundational role in Euro-Atlantic security.
Fidan will also underline Türkiye’s strategic contributions, stating that with its strong military, modern capabilities, and developed defense industry, Türkiye is ready to take on greater responsibility. He is expected to highlight that non-EU NATO members like Türkiye must be included in EU defense initiatives, given their regional importance.
Minister Fidan will reiterate that Türkiye’s defense spending already exceeds the NATO benchmark of 2% of GDP. He will call for the removal of barriers to defense industry trade and cooperation among allies to facilitate the development of critical capabilities.
He will also stress the importance of real solidarity in counterterrorism, advocating for regional peace in NATO’s neighboring areas and the Middle East, alongside efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Fidan is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with several of his NATO counterparts on the sidelines of the Antalya meeting.
Türkiye has been a NATO member since February 18, 1952. As a founding pillar of NATO’s southern flank, Türkiye contributes significantly to the alliance’s political and military posture.
NATO's Land Command (LANDCOM) is based in Türkiye, as is one of NATO's nine High Readiness Land Headquarters—NRDC-TUR, located in Istanbul.
Türkiye is also one of the top contributors to NATO’s force and command structure. It has fulfilled and exceeded its commitment to raise defense spending to 2% of its gross domestic product.
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