Turkey and Finland leaders meet at NATO summit in Ankara

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Finnish President Alexander Stubb held bilateral talks on the margins of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara. Erdoğan highlighted the growing trade ties with Finland and reiterated Turkey’s support for a cease‑fire in Gaza and a diplomatic solution in Ukraine. Stubb described the summit as a pivotal moment for the Alliance, emphasizing NATO 3.0, increased defence spending and deeper security cooperation. Both leaders underscored their countries’ complementary roles in NATO – Turkey safeguarding the alliance’s southeastern flank and Finland protecting the northeastern sector – and pledged to expand defence industry collaboration.

The meeting also touched on broader regional stability, with Erdoğan calling for continued humanitarian access in Gaza and Stubb noting the importance of European allies taking greater responsibility for their security.