The eyes of the world are on the 36th NATO Leaders Summit held in Ankara… US President Trump, who came to Türkiye for the 36th NATO Summit, was welcomed by President Erdoğan at Ankara Esenboğa Airport. After the official ceremony, the critical summit in Beştepe started.

MEETINGS ARE ENDED

After bilateral meetings and meetings between delegations, President Erdoğan and US President Trump attended the dinner held in honor of the heads of state and government and their spouses at the Presidential Complex.

Historical NATO reception at the Social Complex

HISTORICAL RECEPTION IN THE COMPLEX

The dinner at the Presidential Complex was held closed to the press. President Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan welcomed the heads of state and government and their spouses attending the summit on the steps of the Presidential Main Building.

A marching welcome to Trump at the Social Complex

A BRAND WELCOME TO TRUMP

US President Donald Trump was also among the leaders who attended the dinner. Donald Trump confirmed with the “OK” sign that he liked the anthem played by the Mehteran Union.

HE TOOK PHOTOS WITH THE LEADERS SEPARATELY

The Erdoğan couple took photos separately with the guests. After the leaders arrived at the Complex, dinner started.

NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum 2026 Reception was held at the Kahramankazan campus of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), hosted by Defense Industry (SSB) President Haluk Görgün.

In his speech here, Görgün stated that the Defense Industry Forum organized within the framework of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit was one of the biggest events in NATO history.

“A SPECIAL SECTION WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ANKARA SUMMIT”

Pointing out that the world is going through a great transformation, Görgün said, “It is unthinkable for NATO to remain indifferent to this. All allies have been aware of these developments for a long time. This initiative, which grew step by step at the Vilnius, Washington and Hague summits, reached its peak today. When NATO history is written in the future, a special chapter will be reserved for the Ankara Summit, and the Defense Industry Forum will symbolize the beginning of a new era for NATO.” he said.

“TUSAŞ HAS BEEN SERVING Türkiye AND ALLIES FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS”

Görgün stated that TAI has been serving Türkiye and its allies for more than 50 years in a wide range of areas, from aircraft structures to modernization, from attack helicopters to jet trainers and satellites.

Stating that Baykar Technology is a global game-changing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) company that plays a critical role in Ukraine for transatlantic security, Görgün stated that KIZILELMA was exhibited at the forum and the product was highly appreciated.

Görgün informed that not only aircraft but also the latest technology systems of the Turkish defense industry were exhibited here, and emphasized the importance of establishing a safe and durable supply chain that allows different defense industry collaborations between allies.

SWEDEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO NATO’S DETERRENCE AND DEFENSE CAPABILITY

Swedish Defense Minister Jonson also said, “NATO’s decision to choose GlobalEye today is important for the alliance and Sweden, as well as for the transatlantic defense industrial base.” he said.

Noting that this means that Sweden contributes even more to NATO’s deterrence and defense capability, Jonson said, “For more than 40 years, the AWACS fleet has been the eyes of the Alliance in the sky and this mission is still very important, but the threat has evolved and is constantly changing.” he said.

Jonson continued his words as follows:

“GlobalEye aims to adapt to a new and more complex security environment and the very complex battlefield to which we are exposed. GlobalEye is an airborne early warning and control system. Simply put, it can see far and wide and helps commanders make early and informed decisions. NATO has selected GlobalEye as the future airborne surveillance and control capability. This means that Swedish technology will help protect allied airspace.”

“GLOBALEYE CAN DETECT AND TRACK UAVS AND MISSILES IN REAL TIME”

Saab’s CEO Johansson also stated that NATO’s decision is an important turning point for both Saab and his country.

Stating that GlobalEye can monitor air, land and sea elements simultaneously thanks to its high altitude, wide range and advanced active and passive sensor systems, Johansson stated that the system can process the information obtained with artificial intelligence technologies in a short time.

Johansson noted that GlobalEye can detect and track threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ballistic and cruise missiles in real time.

Stating that they are ready to move on to the next stage of the negotiation process with NATO, Johansson said that with the delivery of GlobalEye aircraft to the Alliance, NATO will be able to respond to developing threats more quickly and effectively.

Diplomatic traffic has intensified in the capital due to the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit held in Ankara.

Within the scope of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, who visited Türkiye, at Esenboğa Airport.

While one of the most important agenda topics of the NATO Summit is the war in Ukraine and the security of the Euro-Atlantic geography, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy is expected to have bilateral contacts with many leaders within the scope of the summit. In this context, Zelenskiy is also expected to meet with US President Donald Trump.

Minister Ersoy welcomed Zelenski in Esenboğa! | Video

Minister Ersoy’s welcome program within the scope of the NATO Summit will continue throughout the day.

Later, Ersoy will welcome Czech Republic President Petr Pavel, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Polish President Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini and President of the European Council of Heads of State and Government António Luís Santos da Costa at Esenboğa Airport.

Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün shared a post about the Defense Industry Forum held in Ankara within the framework of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. Görgün said in his post: “These projects, in which ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, STM and TÜBİTAK will be among the contractors, will form the backbone of the Alliance’s deterrence architecture in the coming years.”

“WE HAVE ACHIEVED AN UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY”

In his speech at the opening of the Defense Industry Forum held in Ankara within the framework of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün stated that the effects and results of the forum could last for years and that he was pleased to host the participants in Ankara. Stating that the Defense Industry Forum is the “centerpiece” of this year’s summit, Görgün noted that this is largely due to a better understanding of the importance of the defense industry for the future of the allies.

Görgün stated that the fact that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made this issue a priority gave the forum a special meaning and said, “Another element that makes this forum truly unique is that it is held in Türkiye, which has exhibited an unprecedented growth in the defense industry under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” he said.

Explaining that they worked in close cooperation with the NATO Secretariat for the forum, Görgün said, “In the face of high expectations from the forum, we planned every detail with the meticulousness of a jeweler, in close cooperation with the NATO Secretariat.” he said.

Stating that the participant profile has reached the highest level in terms of both quality and quantity this year, Görgün called on the participants to examine the talents on display and said, “I especially recommend that you do not miss the opportunity to get to know KIZILELMA closely.” he said.

“WE HAVE TOO LITTLE TIME”

Görgün pointed out NATO’s recent decisions to increase its defense production capacity and reminded that the Defense Production Action Plan was announced at the Vilnius Summit and an agreement was reached on the Industrial Capacity Expansion Commitment at the Washington Summit.

Görgün stated that the commitment to allocate 5 percent of gross domestic product to defense expenditures at the Hague Summit demonstrated the alliance’s agreement on industrial expansion and continued as follows:

“During the past three years, serious disruptions, wars and security threats in almost every region of the world have rewritten the defense architecture. It is against this background that today’s forum is being held. What is certain is that we have very little time, we need to strengthen our industrial capacity, and no country can shoulder this burden alone.”

Noting that, as Rutte frequently emphasizes, these goals will become realistic if NATO members act together, Görgün said, “As the Turkish defense industry, we are ready to be one of the driving forces of the industrial transformation that NATO needs.” he said.

Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler said, “We also consider NATO’s 5 percent defense investment commitment important. Because this commitment is also a concrete indicator of the Alliance’s will to strengthen its deterrence, scale defense production and bring the capabilities we need to the field on time.” he said.

Güler said that NATO’s understanding of collective defense, the spirit of solidarity among allies and the determination to act together are more important than ever. Stating that the production capacity, ammunition stock, platform modernization, sustainable supply chains and rapidly adaptable industrial ecosystem that support this determination are also of vital importance, Güler said:

“As a matter of fact, the war in Ukraine has shown how decisive the speed of ammunition supply, unmanned systems, air and missile defense, electronic warfare and rapid innovation are in the modern warfare environment. The recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz and its surroundings have once again demonstrated that transportation line security and supply chain management are now an integral part of defense planning. Therefore, the main question for all of us is, how quickly can we turn our commitments into real capabilities?”

“DOZENS OF MILITARY SHIPS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED SIMULTANEOUSLY”

Minister Güler said that one of the main goals of the Ankara Summit is for the allies to demonstrate their increase in defense investments, achieve new capability targets, expand their production capacities and build a stronger, more innovative and more durable transatlantic defense industrial base.

Güler emphasized that Türkiye, acting with this awareness, has brought its domestic and national production capacity and engineering infrastructure in the defense industry to a level that attracts attention on a global scale, and said:

“Today, we have significant competencies in a wide range of fields, from land, sea and air platforms to unmanned systems, electronic warfare capabilities and air defense solutions. In fact, dozens of military ships are being built simultaneously in our shipyards. Turkey has a capacity in the production of naval platforms that not only meets its own needs but also can contribute to its allies and partners. Within the scope of the modernization of our land power, the mass production phase of our Altay main battle tank is concrete indicators of the technological and industrial level we have reached in the field of armored land vehicles.”

“AMMUNITION PRODUCTION IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL TITLES FOR THE ALLIANCE”

Stating that the KAAN program shows that Türkiye has reached a new league in its capacity to develop high-technology-based combat air platforms in the field of air operations, Güler said, “Ammunition production is one of the most critical topics for the Alliance. In recent years, we have increased our 155 mm ammunition production capacity very rapidly and become one of the allies that produces concrete results in this field. We are significantly expanding our missile and ammunition production capacity with ROKETSAN’s new production and integration investments.” he said.

Minister Güler pointed out that the investments of companies such as ASELSAN and HAVELSAN in the fields of radar, electronic warfare, communication, command-control, software, simulation and artificial intelligence-supported systems have advanced the defense industry capacity not only in quantity but also in quality, and said:

“Along with all these, we also consider NATO’s 5 percent defense investment commitment important. Because this commitment is also a concrete indicator of the Alliance’s will to strengthen deterrence, scale defense production and bring the capabilities we need to the field in a timely manner. Wars and conflicts have shown that success in the field depends not only on existing stocks, but also on the capacity to learn quickly, produce quickly and adapt quickly. Soldiers, engineers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers in many fields, from drone technologies to electronic warfare, from ammunition production to software updates “As the distance between transmitters shortens, the effectiveness at the front increases. Therefore, our task is to build this culture of cooperation in peacetime. Once the crisis occurs, it may be too late to establish a production line, create a supply chain or develop a common standard.”

Calling on NATO member countries to turn commitments into capabilities, Güler said, “Let’s turn resources into production. Let’s turn our industrial power into deterrence and strengthen the security of our Alliance, not with words, but with concrete capacity on the ground. In this context, we hope that the contacts and evaluations to be made during the forum will turn into real projects, joint ventures, production agreements and capability outputs.” he said.