Turkish President Erdogan due to attend last day of NATO summit

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday will attend the last day of NATO summit in the US.

NATO leaders gathered Tuesday in Washington, D.C. for a three-day summit to mark the military alliance's 75th anniversary.

The summit, which has addressed the challenges facing the alliance and seeks to further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense, is also being attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the heads of delegation of NATO's partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

NATO leaders, including Erdogan, will attend on Thursday a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which includes Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union, followed by a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects the allies to make important decisions on enhancing support for Ukraine, strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense, and deepening partnerships with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

Erdogan will also hold bilateral meetings with participating heads of state and government on the margins of the summit.

Before leaving for the US, Erdogan said Tuesday that Türkiye's expectations for the summit are to obtain results that pay heed to allies’ sensitivities about national security and strengthen the spirit of unity and solidarity of the alliance.

"During our talks, we will draw attention to the rising threat of terror in the world, first and foremost in nearby regions. We will underscore the importance of stepping up NATO’s efforts to put up a determined and holistic fight against terrorist groups," he told reporters.

Stressing that Türkiye is one of the top five NATO allies in contributions to its missions and operations, Erdogan said his country is doing more than its share.