NATO Military Committee Chair Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone described Türkiye as a strong and strategic ally ahead of this week’s NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, praising its military capabilities, defense industry and geopolitical position as central to the alliance’s security.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) at NATO headquarters in Brussels before the July 7-8 summit, Cavo Dragone said the alliance has become stronger since he assumed the Military Committee’s top post in January 2025.

“When I took office, I believed NATO was a strong and healthy alliance. After a year and a half, I can confirm that assessment,” he said. “We are no longer just waking up. We are on our feet and moving forward.”

Drawing attention to Türkiye’s role within NATO, the admiral said the country occupies a unique strategic position linking the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Middle East while maintaining the alliance’s second-largest military.

He also praised Türkiye’s rapidly expanding defense industry after recently visiting several production facilities.

“I was truly impressed,” Cavo Dragone said. “Türkiye is already a strong ally and, in my assessment, it will become even stronger in the future.”

He said Türkiye could serve as a model for other allies because of its investment in defense manufacturing, production speed and delivery capacity.

“Geographically, Türkiye may be on NATO’s frontier, but in many strategic respects it is at the center of the alliance,” he said. “We trust Türkiye and are pleased to have it as our ally.”

Cavo Dragone added that Türkiye’s security concerns should continue to be addressed within the alliance on the basis of mutual trust, calling unity among allies NATO’s greatest strategic strength.

He also noted that allies have become increasingly aware of the evolving security environment and are now expected to turn political commitments into concrete action. Referring to defense spending pledges made at last year’s NATO summit in The Hague, Cavo Dragone said implementation would be the alliance’s main priority.

“Declarations are easy. What matters from a military perspective is achieving tangible results on the ground,” he said, adding that NATO also needs to maintain its long-term commitment to supporting Ukraine and preserve momentum in defense industrial production.

Cavo Dragone acknowledged that differences among NATO’s 32 democratic members can slow decision-making but argued that consensus-building ultimately strengthens the alliance.

“Different views are natural. They help us discuss, negotiate, and reach common ground,” he said, stressing that mutual trust remains NATO’s greatest asset.

Addressing concerns over a possible reduction in U.S. military contributions to Europe, Cavo Dragone said European allies are capable of assuming greater responsibility for their own defense, although the transition will require time and sustained investment.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev at the Presidential Complex on Monday. The two politicians were not expected to hold a joint news conference.

Radev is among heads of state and government who traveled to Türkiye for the July 7-8 NATO summit.

Erdoğan is also scheduled to meet leaders from the alliance’s 32 member countries at the Presidential Complex, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic.

Erdoğan is expected to hold a one-on-one meeting with Trump on July 7, followed by a joint news conference.

Later that evening, Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan will host a dinner at the Presidential Complex for visiting leaders and their spouses.

On July 8, Erdoğan will welcome leaders on arrival at the summit venue before participating in the traditional family photo. Following opening remarks by Rutte, leaders are expected to deliver statements during the summit session.

After the session, Erdoğan, Trump and several other leaders are expected to hold separate news conferences at the Beştepe National Exhibition Hall.

The summit will focus on implementing NATO’s decision to increase defense investment and will review the alliance’s deterrence and defense efforts from a 360-degree perspective.

Leaders are also expected to hold strategic discussions on threats, risks and challenges facing the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as developments related to the war in Ukraine and the security situation on NATO’s southern flank. In addition to 32 NATO heads of state and government, the summit will bring together nearly 100 ministers, senior diplomats, representatives of international organizations and invited guests.

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Jailed former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu appeared in court Monday in three separate criminal proceedings, as one of the cases involving allegations over his university diploma was postponed until Dec. 25.

The Istanbul 59th Criminal Court of First Instance ruled to delay the diploma case pending the finalization of a separate administrative court decision concerning the validity of Imamoğlu’s degree.

The case stems from allegations that Imamoğlu fraudulently obtained a bachelor’s degree from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Business Administration in 1994. Prosecutors launched an investigation earlier this year after complaints were filed over the authenticity of his diploma.

In March 2025, Istanbul University annulled the diplomas of Imamoğlu and 27 others, citing what it described as legal nullity and procedural errors. Prosecutors later charged him with forgery of an official document.

In a separate espionage case heard the same day, prosecutors requested that Imamoğlu remain in pretrial detention alongside co-defendants, including journalist Merdan Yanardağ, political consultant Necati Özkan and businessperson Hüseyin Gün.

The prosecutor’s office concluded that Gün operated “under the appearance of a business person” while acting as an intelligence asset, a finding it said was supported by both intelligence and police assessments.

In earlier testimony, Gün told investigators that he owned a company named Piiq and claimed to have partnered with Aaron Barr, whom he described as a former CIA officer.

Prosecutors argued that there was sufficient evidence supporting accusations of political and military espionage and said the defendants’ detention remained proportionate given the seriousness of the charges.

The former mayor also appeared in a separate corruption trial linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).

The indictment, spanning nearly 3,900 pages, accuses Imamoğlu of leading a criminal organization and committing multiple corruption-related offenses.

Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 828 years to 2,352 years, arguing that he bears responsibility for 142 separate criminal acts.

He has been held in pretrial detention since March 23, 2025, as part of the corruption investigation and was subsequently suspended from office by Türkiye’s Interior Ministry pending the outcome of the judicial process.

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The timetable for the July 6-8 NATO summit in Ankara was confirmed. The 36th edition of the event is a highly anticipated occasion for members of the military alliance, which appears to be falling out with the top contributor, the United States. President Donald Trump is among the most prominent guests of the event, while host President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to showcase Türkiye’s influence in the changing global order.

The summit will be inaugurated by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte with a news conference ahead of bilateral talks and main sessions. Rutte will speak to journalists at the International Media Center set up at the Presidential Complex at 3:45 p.m. local time on Monday.

On Tuesday, NATO Defense Industry Forum (NSDIF) will bring together representatives of member states and the defense industry at ATO Congresium, an international convention and exhibition center. Mark Rutte will inaugurate the forum at 10 a.m. local time. NATO’s official website says this will be the occasion where “Big Reveal” announcement will be made. Along with Rutte, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler will make keynote speeches at the forum. Member states and defense firms are also scheduled to sign various deals during the forum. Turkish media outlets reported that Rutte will also make a joint press statement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the forum.

At 5:30 p.m. local time, NATO’s foreign ministers will meet the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), a security partnership forum established in 2004 for enhancing bilateral cooperation with non-NATO members, particularly the Middle Eastern countries. The said countries were among those most affected by the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. The meeting will take place at the presidential complex. It will be followed by a social reception for NATO defense ministers at “Ayyıldız Headquarters,” the newly inaugurated headquarters of the Turkish army in the shape of a crescent and star.

At 6:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, President Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan will host heads of state and government and their spouses for a reception and dinner at the presidential complex. NATO-Ukraine Council foreign ministers will also meet on Tuesday as part of the summit, before a working dinner of defense ministers at the presidential complex.

Wednesday’s program will start with doorstep statements by Rutte and heads of state and government. The summit’s official welcoming ceremony will be held at 10:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, and it will be followed by a family photo of participating leaders. Leaders will then head to a meeting. The summit will be concluded with a news conference by Rutte at 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, said in a social media post on Sunday that the summit would focus on the steps taken regarding the decision to increase defense investments, the alliance’s deterrence and defense efforts, “with a 360-degree point of view.” Duran said leaders would exchange views on threats, risks and challenges to the Euro-Atlantic region, the situation in Ukraine and developments “in the south of the alliance,” referring to the Middle East gripped by Israel’s expansionist campaign and the U.S.-Israel-Iran war that jeopardized fragile stability in the region. Duran said President Erdoğan was expected to hold bilateral talks with each leader attending the summit.

The summit is regarded as a critical turning point both for the future of the Alliance and for the shaping of the global security architecture. Held within the framework of the new strategic concept referred to as “NATO 3.0,” the Ankara summit is considered by many leaders and security experts to be one of the most significant summits in NATO’s history. It is expected to become the largest NATO summit ever held in terms of participation at the leaders’ level. President Trump was expected to skip the event as he often complained about insufficient contributions to the alliance by European members. Yet, he recently reaffirmed his participation, underlining that he wouldn’t attend if it wasn’t for Erdoğan.

To cover the summit, approximately 3,000 journalists, television crews, photojournalists, digital media representatives, and international broadcasting organizations from around the world have applied for accreditation. As a result, the summit is also set to become the NATO summit with the highest number of international media representatives ever recorded. Seven hotels have been designated in Ankara to accommodate international media representatives, while transportation will be provided by 45 buses. The media center has been equipped with comprehensive technical infrastructure, including approximately 1,800 workstations, nearly 100 live broadcast positions (54 of them permanent), interview areas, television studios, press mixers, wayfinding systems, 40 editing rooms, IPTV broadcasting facilities, and announcement screens. These facilities are described as the most comprehensive working environment ever created for media representatives at a NATO summit.

The Presidency’s Directorate of Communications will deploy a total of 850 personnel throughout the summit, 500 at the main venues and 350 for side events and crisis communications. Public broadcaster TRT, under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, will oversee the summit’s international broadcasting operations. TRT will cover the summit with 96 cameras, 18 live broadcasting vehicles, and 26 separate broadcast locations. This operation is expected to become the most extensive broadcasting effort ever conducted for a NATO summit.

Throughout summit week, promotional activities will be carried out at approximately 5,000 outdoor advertising locations across Ankara. Billboards, digital displays, and other outdoor media will feature visuals prepared under four different concepts. In addition to NATO Summit messaging, the campaign will include content highlighting Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency, the country’s defense industry products, and the GoTürkiye tourism promotion campaign. This initiative is expected to represent the most comprehensive city branding campaign ever organized in connection with a NATO summit.

For summit security, a total of 56,288 personnel will be deployed, including 48,841 officers from the General Directorate of Security and 7,447 personnel from the Gendarmerie General Command. In addition, 639 personnel will conduct round-the-clock cyber patrol operations to combat cybercrime and enhance cybersecurity.

Participants will travel through three separate airports: Esenboğa Airport, Ankara Airport (an updated version of the Etimesgut military airport renovated and expanded exclusively for the summit), and Mürted Air Base, which will handle cargo aircraft operations.

Diplomatic stage for Türkiye

The summit is expected not only to bring together world leaders but also to serve as a diplomatic stage highlighting Türkiye’s growing influence within NATO. The summit is expected to simultaneously showcase Türkiye’s military contributions, defense industry, crisis management capabilities, and leadership diplomacy.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that Türkiye is an important NATO ally with strong military capabilities and a strategic geographic position, adding that Lithuania highly values Türkiye’s solidarity with and contribution to security in the Baltic region.

In a written response to questions by Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of the summit, Ruginiene said she expected the summit to reaffirm transatlantic unity and all allies’ strong commitment to fulfilling their obligations under the Washington Treaty. “In this context, increasing defense spending and developing defense capabilities are of great importance to ensure a credible deterrence and defense posture,” she said. Ruginiene said Russia remained the most direct long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and that the Russia-Ukraine war had further worsened Europe’s security environment, including for neighboring countries. The prime minister also condemned recent drone incursions from Russia and Belarus into Baltic airspace that affected NATO’s eastern flank.

Ruginiene said Lithuania expected the Ankara summit to make concrete progress toward the goal of allocating 5% of gross domestic product to defense, particularly by strengthening air defense capabilities to deter Russia and ensure a credible defense posture. “Strengthening the defense industry is among our priorities. Allies need to increase production capacity, accelerate innovation, and keep costs under control,” she said. Ruginiene said continued military support for Ukraine remained vital and that Kyiv had gained momentum on the battlefield through the contributions of all NATO allies. “Our message must be clear. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, its military buildup and hybrid activities against allies have fundamentally changed Europe’s security environment,” she said. “There is no alternative to increasing defense budgets in this new threat environment. Security cannot be taken for granted,” she added.

Ruginiene said higher defense spending also created new economic and commercial opportunities for countries.

“As European allies assume greater responsibility, the transatlantic bond remains the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security. Even if the U.S. role changes, it will remain indispensable and cannot be replaced by any other actor,” she said.

The prime minister said the concept of a “European pillar” within NATO was, to some extent, misleading, stressing that every ally must meet its commitments to the alliance, whether on defense spending or capability targets.

“NATO is an integrated structure in which every ally matters. Strong allies mean a strong NATO,” she said.

Ruginiene said Lithuania remained a committed supporter of deeper transatlantic cooperation and a stronger NATO, adding that it shared U.S. concerns over a more balanced distribution of responsibilities within the alliance.

She welcomed Europe’s determination to strengthen its defense readiness after years of insufficient investment.

“A stronger and more capable Europe will make a positive contribution to global and transatlantic security and will further strengthen NATO,” she said.

Ruginiene said European Union defense initiatives and increased national defense spending would significantly boost Europe’s conventional military strength.

“The alliance will gain the military capacity needed to protect European and transatlantic interests and provide stronger deterrence against external threats,” she said.

On Türkiye’s role in the alliance, Ruginiene said: “Türkiye is an important NATO ally with strong military capabilities and a strategic geographic position. We highly appreciate Türkiye’s solidarity with and contribution to the security of the Baltic region.”

“At a time when the security environment is becoming increasingly challenging, particularly because of Russia’s military buildup and hybrid activities against allies, unity and effective cooperation are more important than ever,” she added.

Ruginiene said every ally had an important role in strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities, increasing its resilience and ensuring the alliance remained prepared for all threats, whether conventional or hybrid.

Onno Eichelsheim, the Netherlands’ Chief of Defense, says Türkiye’s role in NATO will grow larger after the summit. Speaking to AA, Eichelsheim stated that they would need Türkiye as the United States retracts “some capabilities.”

Eichelsheim said he was impressed by the level of capability achieved by the Turkish defense industry and sees strong potential for cooperation between the two countries in this field.

Pointing out that the Ankara summit will mark several important milestones, Eichelsheim said: “The most important outcome that must emerge from this summit is that we deliver on the 3.5% commitment we made in The Hague. This summit should provide more detail and greater clarity about the next steps.”

Noting that his country’s preparations could serve as an example, Eichelsheim added: “We have prepared a White Paper and demonstrated our willingness to meet NATO’s 5% defense spending target.” Eichelsheim emphasized that another key issue is for European countries to begin assuming greater responsibility within NATO by filling the capability gaps left by the United States as it reduces certain contributions to the Alliance. “I believe this is another important turning point. From this perspective, the fact that Europeans are genuinely beginning to take on greater responsibility within the Alliance can be regarded as a historic moment.”

Referring to Türkiye’s role within the Alliance, Eichelsheim continued: “I believe Türkiye plays a very important role. It has always played a significant role within the Alliance. Because of its geographical location, it is the guardian of NATO’s southeastern flank. Although it performs this role together with some of its partners, Türkiye is the most important country in that region. Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest armed forces. As the United States withdraws some of its capabilities, we will also need Türkiye to help fill those gaps. Therefore, Türkiye’s role within NATO will become even greater. I have also seen that Türkiye is very willing to take on this role not only in its own region but in other parts of NATO as well. Türkiye has played a very important role up to now, and that role will become even more significant in the future.”

‘Allies in Ankara’

Türkiye’s leading think tank, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), will collaborate with the Munich Security Conference for “Allies in Ankara,” a series of events at historic Ankara Palas simultaneously with the summit. The events will bring together ministers, high-ranking officials, and security experts from NATO member countries and other states.

For two days, the event hub will host a dynamic discussion and connection platform through a variety of panels, roundtable discussions, and side events. Burhanettin Duran is also expected to make a keynote speech at the event.

The “Looking Ahead to the Ankara Summit” event will host Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler in a session moderated by MSC CEO Benedikt Franke.

Other sessions include: “Beyond the Post-Cold War Order: Navigating an Era of Strategic Uncertainty,” “Steps Toward a Sustainable Future in the MENA-Gulf Region,” “Inside the Architecture: Türkiye’s Defense Industry as a Structural Asset for NATO” and “NATO’s Ankara Moment: From Consolidation to Burden Sharing.”

Once at the heart of a debate on the rights of minorities, Halki seminary in Istanbul’s Heybeliada may soon welcome new students.

Hopes are growing that the long-closed seminary on the island off Türkiye’s most populated city could reopen soon, with formulas for its new status under discussion, Bishop Aravissu Kassianos Nikolar told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The seminary opened in the mid-19th century and was the main theological school for the Eastern Orthodox Church until it was closed under a Turkish law in 1971. The school has remained closed for decades despite efforts by the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, whose patriarch counts millions across the world as followers.

The seminary made headlines in September when US President Donald Trump raised the issue with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, raising hopes the deadlock could soon be broken. “At this stage, we are making quite good progress overall. Things are positive at the moment, 100% positive,” the bishop told AFP in a rare interview just days before Trump was to fly in on his first official visit to attend the July 7-8 NATO summit.

The seminary has symbolic significance for the world’s Orthodox community.

Perched on a hill, the historic seminary was shrouded in scaffolding, the sprawling complex undergoing extensive renovation ahead of its eventual reopening. As well as the seminary, the site incorporates a monastery and a high school, although it too has long sat empty. Inside, an AFP team saw the renovation work in full swing ahead of what the patriarch has said would be a September deadline for it to be completed.

In one classroom, rows of new chairs faced an electronic display as a portrait of modern Türkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, gazed down from the wall, a mirror image of classrooms across the country.

What brought about its closure was a 1971 court ruling that all private educational institutions must come under state control, a decision rejected by the patriarchate as it wanted to preserve the seminary’s independence. But after years of closure, the patriarchate has agreed to accept a formula that would let the seminary reopen, operating under Turkish oversight.

Renewed interest in the site was sparked in 2024 when Education Minister Yusuf Tekin visited and spoke of the importance of preserving the building’s original character in any renovation. He also conveyed a message from Erdoğan that a solution had to be found to reopen the institution.

“That kicked off negotiations with Ankara,” Nikolar said, with plans for its reopening gaining real momentum after last September’s White House talks.

The initial proposal was to reopen the seminary as a university operating under Türkiye’s Higher Education Board (YÖK).

That later evolved into the idea of establishing an institute offering postgraduate theological training over a two-year period that would be affiliated with a Turkish university, and a quota of 60-70 students. The latest talks in Ankara last month were attended by Erdoğan and Patriarch Bartholomew, said Nikolar who was also present.

Nikolar told AFP there was “no set time” for the reopening, but said Erdoğan had urged all parties to finalize the matter swiftly, saying: “Don’t lose too much time.” As for Trump’s involvement, the bishop said he was someone who held Patriarch Bartholomew “in high regard.”

Not only did the seminary have a history of educating distinguished clergy, but it also reached out to other faiths, he said. “We should not look at it solely from the perspective of Christianity, it also achieved major success in interfaith dialogue. The school’s mission was to educate broad-minded students, not people with a narrow outlook on the world,” Nikolar said.

“That is why this school is valuable to Trump, and our president is also aware of its importance. The fact that such a valuable institution has remained closed and been unable to train clergy is a major loss.” Even though it is still closed, there’s already a high demand to study at the seminary, he said. “It’s a valuable institution. This school has never been forgotten.”

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After trying maritime routes, a group of activists from Türkiye now aims to travel by land to demonstrate their solidarity with Palestinians oppressed by Israel.

The “Palestine Convoy” will start its journey from France on July 26 and proceed to the first stopover, Bosnia-Herzegovina, before reaching Türkiye. The activists aim to enter Palestine via Jordan.

The Palestine Convoy Turkish Delegation held a news conference in Istanbul on Sunday to reveal details of the journey, in the spirit of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which sought both to bring aid to Gazans and demonstrate international solidarity with them in the face of Israel’s genocidal actions in the Palestinian enclave.

The delegation’s coordinator, Hüseyin Durmaz, said they would never stop in their efforts to reach Palestine and Gaza. Durmaz, a Global Sumud Flotilla activist, said the humanity has witnessed “a livestream massacre” in Gaza and this led to outrage among “people of conscience.”

“This outrage translated into unprecedented global action. Demonstrations grew into a global wave of resistance shaped by the elderly who prayed for the oppressed, scholars who worked night and day to tell the people about the oppression, civic society organizations rallying people and those doing their best to show solidarity,” he said.

Durmaz said Israel attempted to portray the situation in Gaza fine although it continued blocking aid to Gaza. “The occupation regime launched a war on perception on the social media, investing millions to make people forget what transpired in Gaza during this dirty war, to create a perception that nothing happened and to censor social media posts about Palestine. We reinforced our digital activism to keep memories of what happened in Gaza alive, to keep righteous cause of people of Palestine under the spotlight,” he said.

Davut Daşkıran, civic society relations coordinator of the delegation, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that this land route was not attempted before. “It will stop by Bosnia-Herzegovina first and we will hold an event there. Then, we will travel to Istanbul. From Istanbul, we will travel to Bursa, Ankara, Konya, Adana, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Mardin and Şırnak. In each city, the events will be held and the convoy will be promoted to ensure more participation,” he said. Daşkıran said they would later travel to Iraq and from there, to Jordan, to enter Palestine. “This will be a new experience for us and we are excited. We expect a high turnout. We are still interviewing with people wanting to join us,” he stated.

“Each effort represents hope for Palestinians. Even if we fail to reach our last destination, we show the world that people should not remain silent. We show everyone that there are still people standing with the oppressed,” he said.

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