Ankara values and contributes to Europe’s stability and security: Turkish delegation

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group’s Economic and Security Commission Seminar officially commenced Monday in Antalya’s Belek Tourism Center.

The meeting gathered lawmakers from NATO member states along with representatives from Azerbaijan, the Gulf, and Arab countries to discuss developments in the Gulf, the Middle East, and the Sahel region and their effects on NATO.

Türkiye’s strategic role emphasized

Speaking to reporters, Mevlut Cavusoglu, chairman of the Turkish delegation to the NATO PA and former minister of foreign affairs, emphasized the importance of the seminar, which will run for three days.

“Türkiye has become an extremely important country in diplomacy and security,” Cavusoglu said. “Especially amid the rapid changes globally, Türkiye remains an indispensable NATO ally and one of the top contributors,” he added.

Cavusoglu noted that Türkiye is among the leading countries in terms of activity, missions, and budget contributions to NATO.

Western allies urged recognizing Türkiye’s consistent importance

Highlighting a recurring issue, Cavusoglu added, “It is very important that the Western world has recently begun to understand Türkiye’s significance. But Türkiye’s importance should not only be acknowledged when needed. It should not be forgotten after the need disappears.”

He criticized Western allies for periodically neglecting Türkiye after times of cooperation and warned against exclusionary attitudes within discussions about building Europe’s new security architecture.

“Türkiye values and contributes to the stability and security of Europe,” he underlined.

NATO Foreign Ministers to convene next month in Türkiye

Cavusoglu also noted that next month, Türkiye will host a NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, continuing Ankara’s active diplomatic engagements following events like the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

The NATO PA Economic and Security Commission Seminar in Antalya will continue with multiple sessions over the next three days.