UPDATES WITH RUTTE'S VISIT TO TAI, STATEMENT BY HEADS OF DEFENSE INDUSTRY AGENCY
By Yasin Gungor and Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and steps that can be taken to end the ongoing massacre in Palestine, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
During their meeting in the capital Ankara, the two leaders also discussed joint steps to be taken in the fight against terrorism, Türkiye hosting the 2026 NATO summit, NATO allies' solidarity with Ankara in supplying defense industry equipment, and Türkiye’s contributions as a NATO ally, a directorate statement said.
The Turkish leader also thanked Rutte for his messages of solidarity after last month’s terror attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) headquarters in the capital Ankara.
Rutte, for his part, said on X that they discussed "the threat of terrorism, the war in Ukraine, and the crisis in the Middle East."
"In an increasingly unpredictable world, Türkiye makes invaluable contributions to NATO," he added.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and top presidential advisor Akif Cagatay Kilic also attended the meeting at the Presidential Complex, which marked Rutte’s first visit to Türkiye since taking the post last month.
- Bilateral meetings, visit to Turkish Aerospace Industries
Fidan also held separate one-on-one talks with the NATO chief, the Foreign Ministry said.
Additionally, Rutte met with Guler at the National Defense Ministry as part of his visit to Ankara.
In a separate meeting Rutte, accompanied by his delegation, visited the Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters in the capital.
"As part of the visit, a significant briefing and consultation meeting on our defense industry was held with the NATO delegation,” said Haluk Gorgun, head of the Defense Industry Agency, who was also present at the meeting.
Gorgun said they discussed the importance of Türkiye’s "strong presence in NATO, the need for sustainable defense industry cooperation with NATO countries, and the potential for future joint projects."
Rutte, a former Dutch premier, became NATO’s 14th secretary-general in October, succeeding the long-serving Jens Stoltenberg.
Türkiye has been a member of the alliance since 1952 – over 70 years.