NATO Parliamentary Assembly summit in Istanbul stresses unity and Southern flank security

At the NATO Parliamentary Assembly summit in Istanbul, Lorenzo Fontana, president of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, said NATO is strongest when its members are united and when parliaments take part in decision‑making. He highlighted the strategic importance of the alliance’s southern flank, linking Mediterranean stability to Euro‑Atlantic security and calling for stronger political cohesion, credible military capabilities and a shared culture of security.

NATO Parliamentary Assembly Secretary‑General Benedetta Berti praised Turkey as a key ally, noting its defence spending, modern capabilities and contributions to NATO missions. She warned that the security environment is the most complex since the Cold War, with hybrid threats from the war in Ukraine to sabotage of undersea cables. Berti emphasized the need to implement defence‑spending commitments and to translate resources into concrete capabilities ahead of the NATO Heads‑of‑State summit in Ankara (July 7‑8) and the parliamentary summit in Istanbul (June 28‑29).