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Rutte heads to Ankara for talks with Erdogan, discuss Türkiye’s NATO role

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a joint press conference with the Czech Republic's Prime Minister after talks in Prague, April 16, 2026. (AFP Photo)
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a joint press conference with the Czech Republic's Prime Minister after talks in Prague, April 16, 2026. (AFP Photo)
April 20, 2026 03:23 PM GMT+03:00

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21-22, for meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister General Yasar Guler.

The NATO statement confirmed Rutte would meet Türkiye's three most senior figures on defense and foreign policy.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Secretary General of the NATO Mark Rutte at the Department of State in Washington DC, United States, April 8, 2026. (AA Photo)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Secretary General of the NATO Mark Rutte at the Department of State in Washington DC, United States, April 8, 2026. (AA Photo)

NATO's two-day agenda in Türkiye

Rutte will also visit a Turkish defense-industrial facility, reflecting NATO's focus on defense production and burden-sharing ahead of the Ankara Summit.

No further details were provided, and no media access was granted for any element of the visit.

The visit follows the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), where NATO Deputy Secretary General Shekerinska confirmed Türkiye's growing role in the alliance, including the deployment of Turkish aircraft to Estonia for air patrols in the second half of 2026.

NATO has repeatedly cited Türkiye as having the alliance's second-largest army and as one of its most significant defense industry contributors.

April 20, 2026 03:23 PM GMT+03:00
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