Türkiye will host NATO summit in 2026

WASHINGTON

Türkiye will host the annual NATO summit in 2026, according to a declaration released during this year's gathering.

The announcement came during the 75th-anniversary summit of the military alliance hosted by the United States.

The Netherlands will be hosting next year's summit in the Hague in June, the declaration said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the leaders' meeting in Washington and engaged in several bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the summit on July 10.

He met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss bilateral relations and regional and global issues.

Erdoğan told Mitsotakis that Türkiye strives to promote the spirit of solidarity with Greece, according to a statement from his office.

The meeting came amid the recent mending of ties between the neighbors. The thaw was initiated during another meeting between Erdoğan and Mitsotakis at another NATO summit in July last year.

The leaders agreed to "open a new page" in bilateral relations, leading to reciprocal visits and the signing of several cooperation agreements.

Erdoğan also held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The leaders discussed the development of bilateral relations and other global issues.

The president later attended a closed-door meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The duo discussed bilateral relations, the war in Ukraine and Israel's attacks in Gaza, said Erdoğan's office.

The day earlier, Erdoğan had his first bilateral meeting on the summit's sidelines with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

They discussed bilateral relations, Türkiye's accession process to the European Union, and various regional and global issues.

The president expressed his expectation for Hungary's support in revitalizing his country's long-stalled bid, especially since it assumed the rotating presidency of the bloc earlier this month.