While defense spending, deterrence and regional security dominated the agenda of the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, this year's gathering also provided an unprecedented platform for discussions on women, families and societal resilience, reflecting the alliance's increasingly comprehensive understanding of security.
Alongside the leaders' meetings, a series of parallel events highlighted issues ranging from child safety in the digital age to women's role in crisis response, post-disaster recovery and peacebuilding, demonstrating that the challenges facing allied nations extend far beyond the battlefield.
As part of the summit program, on Wednesday, first lady Emine Erdoğan hosted the spouses of heads of state and government at the historic Çankaya Mansion for a roundtable titled "Children, Technology and Security: Protecting the Next Generation." The meeting brought together first spouses from NATO allies and partner countries to discuss one of the fastest-growing security concerns of the digital era: protecting children online.
Erdoğan said digital transformation has created unprecedented opportunities but has also exposed children to new risks that require collective international action.
Drawing attention to UNICEF data, she noted that even during the first moments of her speech, dozens of children had entered the online world, stressing that unlimited access also means unlimited exposure to harmful content, manipulation and data tracking.
She argued that algorithms designed around the attention economy increasingly shape children's thinking and emotions, warning that artificial intelligence is becoming a trusted companion for many young people.
"Child safety should not be a setting added to digital platforms later; it must be the first principle of design," Erdoğan said, calling for greater transparency in algorithms and independent oversight of technology companies' societal impact.
Emphasizing that governments cannot remain passive during such a profound technological transformation, Erdoğan said Türkiye has introduced regulations limiting social media access for children under the age of 15 while requiring platforms to implement age verification and parental control mechanisms.
She also highlighted Türkiye's Digital World Children's Rights Convention initiative, describing it as an effort to elevate child protection to the international level.
Erdoğan also emphasized that the issue extends beyond harmful online content, arguing that children's attention, curiosity and time have become commodities in the digital economy.
She warned that a handful of technology companies now wield enormous influence over what billions of children see and believe, describing the phenomenon as a form of "techno-colonialism."
Calling for a collective international response, she said child safety must become a fundamental design principle for digital platforms, while algorithms should be made more transparent and technology companies held accountable through independent oversight.
Stressing that the objective is not to isolate children from technology, Erdoğan said the priority should be ensuring that digital tools serve children's dignity, safety and healthy development.
The gathering combined diplomacy with Turkish hospitality. The elegant venue provided a fitting backdrop for the discussions, while many of the first ladies appeared in coordinated pastel and neutral-toned attire, lending the event a sense of unity and understated elegance that complemented its focus on dialogue and cooperation.
The summit's focus on women continued through the "Allies in Ankara" program, organized by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications in coordination with the Munich Security Conference and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).
As part of the program, the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) hosted a panel titled "Women at the Frontline of Societal Resilience: Civil Society, Recovery and Human Security in Times of Crisis," bringing together representatives from international organizations, academia, public institutions and civil society to examine how women contribute to strengthening societies during crises.
Opening the session, KADEM Chairperson Canan Sarı said today's concept of security extends well beyond interstate conflict, encompassing migration, natural disasters, pandemics, economic vulnerabilities and climate change. She argued that societies are now measured not only by their military preparedness but also by their capacity to withstand and recover from crises.
Sarı emphasized that rebuilding after disasters involves much more than reconstructing physical infrastructure. Restoring daily life, ensuring children's education continues, supporting elderly and disabled family members and rebuilding community solidarity are all areas where women often undertake indispensable but frequently overlooked responsibilities, she said.
Highlighting KADEM's work over the past 13 years, Sarı noted that the organization now operates through a volunteer network across 58 provinces, conducting projects in education, advocacy, academic research and international cooperation. She pointed to KADEM's Women's Support Centers as one of the foundation's flagship initiatives, providing psychosocial assistance and counseling, particularly following the Feb. 6 earthquakes.
The panel also featured Marmara University academic Aslıhan Nişancı, who presented the Women's Support Centers as a comprehensive case management model designed around women's needs, while research has shown the initiative contributes significantly to women's empowerment and quality of life.
UNFPA Türkiye Representative Mariam A. Khan underlined that women's access to health care, rights and economic opportunities forms a cornerstone of societal resilience, particularly during humanitarian crises.
The discussions concluded with a roundtable emphasizing stronger international cooperation to support women's leadership in crisis management, disaster recovery and human security.
