UPDATE 2 - Turkish president, NATO chief discuss Russia-Ukraine war, Palestine

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM TÜRKIYE'S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE

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 actions that can be taken to end the 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's hosting of the NATO summit in 2026, NATO allies' solidarity with Ankara in defense industry material supply and Türkiye’s contributions as a NATO ally, a directorate statement said.

The Turkish leader also thanked Rutte for messages of solidarity after last month’s terror attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industry 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.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and the president’s chief adviser 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.

Fidan also held separate one-on-one talks with the NATO chief, the Foreign Ministry said.

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.