Politics
Gastrodiplomacy under spotlight ahead of NATO summit in Ankara
At a restaurant in the Turkish capital Ankara, the Presidency’s Communications Directorate hosted international journalists who will cover this week’s NATO summit. The event was part of Türkiye’s gastrodiplomacy efforts expanded in recent years. Burhanettin Duran, head of the directorate, explained the nation’s strategic use of its culinary heritage to foster global understanding ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit.
“Sometimes, a shared meal on a table can say what pages of documents cannot,” Duran said at the dinner. He emphasized that the personal nature of sharing food often facilitates deeper mutual understanding than formal diplomacy. Duran detailed the program titled “Türkiye’s Gastrodiplomacy Model: The Heritage Table,” characterizing cuisine as one of the “most direct, most sincere, and most enduring expressions of soft power.”
Duran elaborated on the cultural philosophy of the Turkish dining table, describing it as a circle where everyone sits at an equal distance, free from hierarchy. He highlighted the local expression “the bond of shared bread and salt” to illustrate the deep connection formed between those who eat together. “A cup of coffee is remembered for 40 years,” Duran remarked, citing a traditional proverb to underscore how simple hospitality can create lifelong friendships. He noted that Gaziantep, Hatay, and Afyonkarahisar are recognized members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, reflecting the richness of the country’s heritage.
Duran credited the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan for enhancing the international visibility of the nation’s food through initiatives such as the Turkish Cuisine Week. He explained that Turkish cuisine is presented alongside universal values, including sustainability, “zero waste,” and the protection of local production.
International journalists covering the NATO summit praised Türkiye’s gastrodiplomacy while highlighting the nation’s pivotal role in regional security and alliance cohesion. Iris Tao from American media said she was impressed by Duran’s emphasis on the power of food to unite different cultures and the idea that sharing a meal is more powerful than diplomatic documents. The journalist, who said it was her first time in Türkiye, described the food as “very tasty.” Camelia Dontu from Romanian media highlighted the beauty of Türkiye and noted that its hospitality could be inspiring for the rest. Dontu said the Russia-Ukraine war is taking place near her country, and that she considers the summit important in this context and in terms of defense discussions. Peter Ernstved Rasmussen from Danish media said he had been to Türkiye before and found Turkish food “fantastic.” He characterized Türkiye as “the bridge to the East,” emphasizing the necessity to “maintain the good relationship between East and West.” Rasmussen said a key priority for the summit is to ensure the U.S. “will confirm its commitment to the alliance.” Daniel Tkiie from Ukrainian media said the message of “sharing bread” helps “improve relations” between societies. He said he was a fan of Turkish food, and described the event as wonderful. He expressed hope for “strong unity” regarding support for Kyiv, and highlighted Türkiye’s “unique position” to serve as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, at the Presidential Complex on Tuesday as the latter arrived for bilateral talks and a key NATO summit in Ankara. While delivering comments, the U.S. president vowed that they would lift CAATSA sanctions.
Speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex after arriving in Ankara for the NATO leaders summit, Trump said the time had come to remove sanctions that have strained relations between the two NATO allies.
“We’re going to lift the sanctions,” Trump said. “We don’t want to sanction our friends. I don’t want to choke my friend with sanctions.”
The sanctions were imposed under the U.S. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) after Türkiye purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, leading Washington to suspend Ankara from the multinational F-35 fighter jet program in 2019.
Asked whether Türkiye could rejoin the program, Trump praised Ankara as a reliable ally.
“Türkiye has been a much more loyal partner than many others,” he said.
Moreover, Trump also said he might not have attended the NATO summit had it not been hosted by Türkiye.
“Frankly, if this summit had not been held in Türkiye, and if my friend, a very strong leader, a very strong person, had not been here, I probably would not have come,” he underlined, referring to Erdoğan.
Calling Türkiye a militarily powerful country under Erdoğan’s leadership, Trump remarked that relations between Washington and Ankara were at their strongest point in years.
“I have great respect for President Erdoğan,” he said. “This is truly in the interest of both countries. I can say that our relationship with Türkiye is better now than it has ever been.”
Trump also defended U.S. spending within NATO, saying Washington had invested “trillions of dollars” in the alliance to protect European allies from security threats, including those posed by Russia.
The U.S. president was scheduled to attend the summit’s official dinner later Tuesday. On Wednesday, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa before concluding his visit with a news conference and departing Ankara.
Trump’s arrival in Ankara
The two men, who often refer to each other as “friend,” first met on the tarmac of Ankara Airport, a military airport redesigned for Air Force One and other presidential planes. They later proceeded to the airport’s guest house and, later, to the Presidential Complex.
A ceremonial team of guardsmen dressed in historical costumes of Turkish states of the past, from Seljuks to Ottomans, attended the welcoming ceremony for Trump at the complex.
This is Trump’s first visit to Türkiye in his two presidential terms and the first by a sitting U.S. president after the end of the Biden administration. Erdoğan visited the White House last year, and the two leaders often hold phone calls in critical times, including the recent U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. Trump, however, is no stranger to Türkiye, where skyscrapers bearing the name of his franchise tower over central Istanbul. He attended the opening ceremony of the towers in 2012, alongside Erdoğan, then prime minister.
Speaking to journalists before their meeting, the two leaders affirmed good ties and friendship. “We feel stronger now having my precious friend here in Ankara,” Erdoğan said.
“We are very good friends, you are a respected leader,” Trump said in turn. “We are going to talk about trade, military, Iran,” the U.S. leader said. Trump also expressed his frustration with NATO. “I was very disappointed with NATO. I am not sure they would be there for us. Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars if they are not there for us?” he said.
On Türkiye’s return to the F-35 program, Erdoğan said he trusted Trump as “a man of his word.”
The Turkish president also said he will discuss engines for Türkiye’s indigenous Kaan fighter jet with Trump during the NATO leaders’ summit, adding he expects Trump to reiterate positive commitments.
In the aftermath of the ouster of Özgür Özel as chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the party’s divide between supporters of Özel and reinstated Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu continues to grow.
This is most evident in acts of vandalism at the party’s provincial branches, where pro-Özel chairs are replaced with pro-Kılıçdaroğlu ones.
Özel himself resisted evacuation from the party’s headquarters in May, and his loyalists followed his example in their refusal to vacate party offices in provinces.
Provincial chairpersons who made headlines for their criticism of Kılıçdaroğlu, who is often branded as a “traitor” for accepting the reinstatement, are being dismissed by the new administration gradually. Repeatedly emphasizing that it will not allow a dual power structure within the party, the Kılıçdaroğlu administration is appointing new provincial chairpersons to replace those who have been removed. With these appointments, tensions over the evacuation have shifted from the party headquarters to provincial offices.
In some provinces, party buildings are not being vacated, while in others, property inside provincial headquarters is being vandalized. Walls are being covered with profanity and insulting graffiti, and in many provinces, bank accounts, vehicles and official record books have not been handed over to the new administrations. It is alleged that Özgür Özel and his associates have promised parliamentary candidacies to former provincial chairpersons who, despite repeated calls for calm, continue to fuel unrest by refusing to comply.
During this process, the provincial headquarters in Izmir was taken over only after a confrontation involving kicking, punching and shouting obscenities. In Malatya, a building that had not been vacated was entered only with the assistance of a locksmith late at night. Supporters of Özel, who are accused of continuing unlawful actions, stormed the building and wrote the word “Traitor” over a poster of Kılıçdaroğlu. In Batman, it was revealed that the provincial headquarters had been thoroughly ransacked by the previous administration. In Çanakkale, the provincial headquarters has likewise not been vacated.
As in many other provinces, a chaotic situation is continuing at the Ankara provincial headquarters of the party. The former administration, which is accused of unlawfully occupying the building, has been paying individuals to stand guard during the night. In addition, as in many other provinces, the official record books and bank accounts have not been handed over to the new administration. Sources close to the Kılıçdaroğlu administration claimed that these transfers are being deliberately delayed because of suspicious financial transactions in the bank accounts. It is also claimed that former administrators across the country, who are vacating buildings under police supervision while staging what is described as “resistance demonstrations,” are attempting to create a new narrative of victimization through these incidents.
The Israeli and Greek air forces have resumed joint military exercises after a long pause over the Israeli wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported on Monday, a move that is expected to anger Greece’s neighbor Türkiye.
“The Air Force has returned to training with the Hellenic Air Force after a long period in which joint training did not take place due to the fighting,” Channel 12 said. It added that footage released by the Greek air force showed Israeli aircraft refueling Greek F-16 fighter jets during a flight over the Aegean Sea. “The cooperation between the Israeli and Greek air forces is not a random choice. It is part of a broader strategic plan taking shape in the region,” the channel said.
Türkiye is a major critic of Israel over its genocidal policy in Gaza and is wary of the Netanyahu administration’s expansionism across the region. As for Greece, Türkiye seeks common ground to improve ties, although the rapid pace of armament of Athens is a source of concern. The maritime borders in the Aegean are a major source of contention between Türkiye and Greece. Turkish officials have not commented yet on the joint drills. Türkiye is also following developments regarding multilateral ties between Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriots.
Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that Israel and its accomplices were engaged in starting “a fire” in the Mediterranean, especially the island of Cyprus, and said they were following the developments. Türkiye is a guarantor state on the divided island and recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It has no ties to the Greek Cypriot administration based in parts of southern Cyprus. The president said, “some small circles whose ambitions are bigger than their size” have jumped on the Israeli bandwagon and served as “contractors of Zionism.” “They are chasing dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean. Let me be clear: Do not engage in adventures, do not ride on the tails of the Zionist network of murderers. Our response to the attempts at the rights and sovereignty of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean will be clear and very strong,” he said.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump could help ease differences within NATO as alliance leaders gather in Ankara this week for a summit focused on security, defense spending and transatlantic cooperation.
In an interview with The New York Times ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit, Fidan said Türkiye hopes to use the close ties between Erdoğan and Trump to promote unity within the alliance.
“The relationship between President Erdoğan and President Trump can help reduce tensions within NATO,” Fidan noted, describing the relationship as one based on mutual trust and friendship.
He said Türkiye intends to use that relationship “for a greater good and for the benefit of the entire NATO family.”
Addressing Trump’s past criticism of NATO, Fidan said he expected technical discussions at the Ankara summit to proceed smoothly despite political disagreements.
“I don’t see any problems in that regard,” he remarked, adding that although allies often exchange strong rhetoric, little has changed in practical terms.
Fidan also stressed that Türkiye shares a common understanding with its European allies on NATO’s importance, saying the alliance remains indispensable to European security.
“No one is questioning NATO’s necessity,” he said.
While noting that the European Union is expanding defense cooperation, Fidan argued that such efforts should complement rather than replace NATO. He said Türkiye and European countries should continue to view one another as essential partners in their collective security.
“We are also part of Europe,” Fidan said. “Unless we come together in Europe and build our common security platform, we will never feel sufficiently secure.”
On regional issues, Fidan welcomed recent diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran, saying both sides appeared committed to reaching their long-term objectives, while noting that key issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remain subject to further negotiations.
Fidan also reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to host new peace talks between Russia and Ukraine but said he did not expect negotiations to resume in the near term, emphasizing that meaningful progress would require continued U.S. involvement and a genuine commitment to peace from both sides.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Türkiye’s strategic importance to the alliance on Monday, highlighting its military capabilities, defense industry and geographic position ahead of this week’s NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara.
Speaking at a news conference in the Turkish capital, Rutte said hosting the summit in Ankara reflected Türkiye’s central role within the alliance.
“Your leadership in NATO is important. Your place on the map is important. Holding the summit here in Ankara is very important,” he said.
Rutte described Türkiye as one of NATO’s key contributors to collective defense, pointing to its armed forces and expanding defense industrial base.
“Türkiye plays a very important role in defense. It has one of NATO’s best armed forces,” he said.
He also praised the country’s defense industry, saying it had made significant progress over the past decade and now plays an important role in supplying capabilities needed by the alliance.
“There are thousands of companies in Türkiye producing everything NATO needs,” Rutte said.
He said Türkiye’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Black Sea and the Middle East further strengthens its value to the alliance.
“Ankara, Istanbul and Türkiye as a whole are very important. Your location on the map, your geographical position and your leadership are all important,” he said.
Rutte added that Türkiye’s role extends beyond geography, emphasizing its growing defense production capacity and long-standing contributions to NATO operations.
He reiterated that the alliance values Türkiye as the host of this year’s summit, which brings together leaders from NATO’s 32 member states to discuss defense spending, transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and other key security challenges.
“We are very pleased that Türkiye is hosting this summit,” Rutte said, calling the country an indispensable ally for NATO’s future security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Ankara Tuesday to attend the two-day summit of NATO, where the Russia-Ukraine war will be a high-priority item on the agenda.
The Ukrainian leader renewed calls for additional Western military assistance, particularly air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, saying Ukraine urgently needs more interceptor missiles, after the conflict escalated in recent weeks.
“We very much expect that the summit now in Ankara – the summit of the strongest Euro-Atlantic states – will not become a hollow exercise. And that our protection of life, our security cooperation, and defense capabilities here in Europe and with America will become stronger through joint work and joint decisions,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address Monday. “Decisions are needed,” Zelenskyy added.
He urged the U.S. and European countries to emerge from the 2026 NATO summit with “strong decisions” in support of Ukraine’s air defenses and the protection of civilians.
Earlier Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that a resolution to the more than four-year-old war in Ukraine is “getting closer than people realize” and that he will talk about Ukraine during talks in Türkiye.
Trump made his remarks after speaking over the weekend with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy.
He gave no specific reason for his assertion that a solution to the conflict was in sight and overnight Russia hammered Kyiv and the surrounding region with missiles and drones, killing at least 28 people.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he believed the U.S. position on how to resolve the conflict remained unchanged.
But Zelenskyy, interviewed by the Financial Times, said he believed the U.S. president was viewing the conflict in a new light in view of recent Ukrainian successes.
“This is one that I think we’re getting much closer than people realize. And President Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump said he had held a “good call” with Putin on the Fourth of July holiday, a conversation a Kremlin aide said lasted 85 minutes and was marked by the U.S. president offering to help find a way to move towards peace.
“And President Zelenskiy actually wants it to end now. And we’re going to be going to NATO, and we’re going to be talking about it, and I think we’re going to get it,” he said. “I think we’re going to get it ended. It’s been a terrible situation.”
Trump is scheduled to meet Zelenskyy on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara and a U.S. official said the idea of the talks was to make a renewed push to end the war.
The same official said Trump would likely follow up with Putin after talking to Zelenskyy.
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