(MENAFN) NATO has confirmed that its 2026 leaders’ summit will take place in Ankara on July 7–8, according to an announcement made Tuesday by Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The alliance noted in a written statement that the gathering will be held at the Bestepe Presidential Complex. Expressing appreciation to Türkiye, Rutte said, “I want to thank Türkiye for hosting this important meeting. Türkiye has been a strong NATO ally for more than 70 years, making invaluable contributions to our shared security. At our next summit, leaders will continue to make NATO a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance, ready to respond to the critical challenges to our security.”

The announcement follows the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, where member states agreed to boost defense spending, committing to allocate 5% of their GDP annually by 2035 to cover both essential military requirements and wider security priorities.

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