08.07.2026 00:20
Following the transfer of a dispute between Prime Minister Andrej Babis and President Petr Pavel in the Czech Republic to the Constitutional Court, triggered by disagreements over who would attend the 36th NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara, the two leaders arriving on separate flights at short intervals, being greeted separately at Esenboğa Airport, and standing at opposite corners in the family photo were interpreted as a reflection of the country's political tension at the NATO summit.
The 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, hosted by the capital Ankara, witnessed historic decisions that will leave a mark on world politics, as well as a power struggle within an allied country and an extraordinary protocol.
SAME SUMMIT, SAME COUNTRY, TWO LEADERS... While all member countries were represented by a single leader and a single delegation, the Czech Republic arrived truly 'divided.' The deep political crisis between President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babis materialized in the skies of Ankara as two separate state planes landed one after the other.
In a rare diplomatic movement at Esenboğa Airport, first the government plane carrying Babis and his delegation landed. Prime Minister Babis was officially welcomed at the airport by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.
Andrej Babis (Right) Shortly after this reception, a second plane carrying Pavel touched down on the runway. President Pavel was welcomed on the apron by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. The arrival of two leaders from the same country at the same airport, on two separate luxury planes at the same hours, did not escape the attention of the world press.
Petr Pavel (Left) WHO WOULD ATTEND THE SUMMIT HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT It emerged that behind the tension, which fully materialized in Ankara, lay a months-long power struggle in Prague over usurpation of authority, which had even reached courtrooms.
Prime Minister Babis, contrary to customs, completely removed President Pavel's name from the NATO Summit delegation list he prepared. Pavel, who did not back down in the face of this move, took the matter to his country's Constitutional Court. As a result of the high court's interim measure decision to prevent the crisis from escalating, the constitutional path was opened for Pavel, a former general, to also attend the summit in Ankara.
Pavel, who openly challenged Babis before the summit, declared that directly contacting allied leaders and exchanging views was a constitutional responsibility for him.
Pavel and Babis THEY STOOD FARTHEST APART FROM EACH OTHER IN THE HISTORIC PHOTO This constitutional and personal tension between the two leaders clearly made itself felt in the traditional NATO family photo, where leaders stood before the cameras. Pavel and Babis avoided standing next to each other during the photo shoot, preferring to stand at opposite ends of the podium. In the past,
Pavel, who is one of the most popular and influential figures in the alliance corridors due to having held a critical position such as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, had this representation crisis with his own prime minister become one of the most talked-about topics of the summit.