06.07.2026 15:11
The two-day NATO Summit starting tomorrow in Ankara is considered one of the most important meetings in history due to tensions with the US administration and international geopolitical crises. The summit could witness decisions that may change the European security architecture.
The NATO Summit, which will start tomorrow in Ankara and last for two days, is considered one of the most important meetings due to both the difficult period the alliance is going through because of the US administration's approach and the international conjuncture.
Given the current state of international geopolitical conditions, NATO allies may make decisive decisions. This applies to both NATO and the geography within the alliance's area of responsibility.
The summit will take place particularly during the second Donald Trump term, which began in January 2025 in the US, a period when intra-NATO debates and tensions have been constant and much more intense than before.
The uncertainty regarding the US's long-term role in Europe has not been fully resolved.
This uncertainty causes NATO to maintain the appearance of an alliance with high conflict potential.
Europe is going through one of the periods since World War II when it feels most threatened.
The Euro-Atlantic security architecture has also been facing serious challenges for some time.
Prominent among these are the war in Ukraine launched by Russia in February 2022, the continued rise of China as a strategic rival, and the instability in the Middle East, which has been deepened by the US-Israel/Iran war.
It is not common to see the number of problematic areas within NATO's area of responsibility increase simultaneously and intersect at many points.
THE ANKARA SUMMIT WILL BE A POLITICAL STRESS TEST FOR NATO
In such an environment, NATO is at a stage of harmonizing different perspectives among its members and making decisive decisions regarding its strategic direction.
Considering this entire picture, the Ankara Summit will serve as a political stress test for NATO.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a statement on July 2, "Perhaps one of the most successful security alliances in human history coming together at this historic turning point, at this threshold, during a period of such uncertainty, will be the biggest summit in NATO history, I believe."
National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler also emphasized in a statement after the NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting on June 18 that they do not see the Ankara Summit merely as a leaders' meeting:
"We consider that this summit will be an important milestone, demonstrating NATO's determination to adapt to the changing security environment and shaping its future strategic orientation."
Some diplomats, given the problems and tensions on both sides of the Atlantic, consider even Trump's participation in the summit a success in itself.
However, considering the potential outcomes of the Ankara Summit, the majority believe that Trump's participation remains secondary.
WHAT KIND OF RESULTS CAN EMERGE FROM THE SUMMIT?
Assessments within NATO circles indicate that the summit will change the balance of power and distribution of power within the alliance in many respects, and consequently, especially the European security architecture.
In a period when the climate of trust within the alliance has been damaged, the summit will reveal whether NATO can turn its commitments into concrete results. The prominent possible changes that the summit may create can be listed as follows:
UNITY IMAGE IS IMPORTANT
According to a senior NATO diplomat, to implement all these outcomes, "first and foremost, the summit must be completed without incident and a happy family portrait must be drawn."
Avoiding disagreements that become public in Ankara and displaying the unity of allies are also among the primary goals of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Mark Rutte is among those who truly consider the Ankara Summit important.
In a statement at the Atlantic Council on June 25, Rutte said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid not of commitments but of their implementation.
Rutte believes that the Ankara Summit is where the commitments made at the 2025 Hague Summit will be fulfilled.
The European Union's (EU) view of the summit is also noteworthy, as common defense moves have recently risen to the top of the agenda.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas emphasized last week in a statement to the media that they find the Ankara Summit important, saying, "Every summit is called historic, but this time it really is."