Istanbul NATO Criticism Conference Draws International Speakers

The "World Security and NATO Conference" was held on 26‑27 June 2026 at the Taşyapı Event Center in Istanbul, organized by the Dünya Medeniyetleri Girişimi Araştırma Merkezi (DÜNYA‑MER). Delegates from nine countries – the United States, Germany, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Iran, Italy, Russia, Serbia and Turkey – participated alongside former military officials, intelligence officers, academics and politicians.

Key speakers included former U.S. intelligence officer Scott Ritter, who claimed "NATO is collapsing" and praised Russia’s war performance, and Turkish politician Doğu Perinçek, who urged that "NATO's corpse should be thrown into the Atlantic." Turkish CHP deputy Bülent Kuşoğlu warned that global debt levels make economies a security issue and criticized NATO’s trans‑Atlantic relevance. The conference concluded with calls for Turkey to accelerate cooperation with China and Russia and to consider leaving NATO.

The event emphasized anti‑NATO sentiment and promoted a shift toward Eurasian alliances, reflecting growing geopolitical debate within Turkey and among the participating nations.