The Turkish capital, Ankara, has boosted its global visibility by hosting a historic NATO summit with historic success, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, the president lauded the organization of the recent summit, recalling that all necessary measures were taken, from security to transport.
He also said that all leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, responded positively by attending the summit.
"Ankara has increased its international visibility more than ever before by hosting a historic summit with a historic success," he said of the July 7-8 summit. He conveyed a belief that this could positively reflect on the tourism as well.
Erdoğan also said the summit was "one of the most closely followed NATO summits by the media" compared with previous alliance meetings he had attended, adding that it showcased "the full grandeur of Türkiye's deep-rooted state tradition."
He said that at a time when "the old order is in intensive care and the new system is experiencing birth pangs," the Presidential Complex had become the center of global diplomacy.
The president, at the same time, said that the NATO leaders agreed on the need to remove barriers to defense industry cooperation, noting that the summit's inaugural Defence Industry Forum drew nearly 1,000 participants.
Erdoğan also said that NATO had decided to establish a Counter-Unmanned Systems Centre of Excellence in the central Turkish province of Konya.
Moreover, he described Trump's official visit to Türkiye as "highly significant."
He said he welcomed Trump's positive remarks about Türkiye and the NATO summit, and that "we will continue working with President Trump to strengthen Turkish-American relations, increase bilateral trade to $100 billion, and promote peace and stability in our region."
Erdoğan also one more time offered his condolences to Qatar following the death of former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, describing him as a visionary leader who played a key role in Qatar's development and made lasting contributions to strengthening Türkiye-Qatar ties. He praised his support for the Palestinian cause and the broader Muslim world.
