Turkish president arrives in Brussels to attend NATO leaders’ summit

By Ferdi Turkten

BRUSSELS (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived Sunday in Brussels to attend Monday’s NATO summit, a meeting to be held with the participation of the leaders of alliance member countries.

Erdogan was welcomed by Turkey's Permanent Representative to NATO Basat Ozturk, Ambassador to the EU Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Ambassador to Belgium Hasan Ulusoy, Military Representative to NATO Lt. Gen. Ismail Uner, Consul General in Brussels Umut Deniz, and other officials.

The Turkish president is accompanied by first lady Emine Erdogan as well as Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkey's Justice and Development (AK) Party, and Osman Askin Bak, the head of the Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Leaders of NATO countries at the summit will discuss the path that the military alliance will follow over the next decade in the face of challenges such as China, Russia, and cyber threats.

The leaders will gather at NATO headquarters in Brussels for the first time since 2018.

Erdogan will also meet with US President Joe Biden – their first meeting since Biden took office – as well as with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and other world leaders.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz