President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held meetings with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and French Counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest on Thursday.
Erdoğan and Rutte discussed issues on the military alliance's agenda, the Presidential Communications Directorate said.
Türkiye, which has the second largest army in NATO, played an important role in determining the position of secretary-general, the highest-level job in the alliance. Türkiye supported Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the position for the next five-year period. The country will be hosting the annual NATO summit in 2026.
Erdoğan also held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, where they discussed bilateral relations and regional and global developments.
Pointing to the deep-rooted relations between Türkiye and France, Erdoğan told Macron that enhancing relations, including trade and economic ties, would benefit both countries.
He also highlighted the importance of reviving Türkiye's EU accession and updating the Customs Union, as well as fulfillment of the bloc's pledges on visa liberalization. Erdoğan also told Macron that ending Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, Israel-Lebanon and similar conflicts through diplomacy based on a peaceful ground would benefit all countries.
European leaders are attending the fifth EPC summit in Budapest to discuss global issues, including Ukraine and the Middle East.
The meeting is hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and attendees also discuss irregular migration and economic security issues in Europe.
The EPC was founded in 2022.
