UPDATE 2 - Turkish President Erdogan attends last day of NATO summit

ADDS INFO; CHANGES HEADLINE, SPOT

By Diyar Guldogan

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

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

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

Erdogan attended a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which includes Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union.

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.

Ahead of the meeting, Erdogan briefly chatted with some leaders.

Later, the leaders attended the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

Before that meeting, Erdogan had brief talks with Stoltenberg and Zelenskyy.

He is expected to hold a news conference later Thursday.

Erdogan held meetings earlier with participating heads of state and government on the margins of the summit, including Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and newly-elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss bilateral relations, regional and global issues.

Before leaving for the US, Erdogan said Tuesday that Türkiye's expectations for the summit are to obtain results that pay heed to the 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.