ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish Directorate of Communications, in cooperation with the Clingendael Institute in The Hague, Netherlands, held a panel discussion titled “From The Hague to Ankara: NATO’s Future in a Transforming Global Security Environment.” This event was part of a series of activities organized by the Directorate of Communications in various allied European countries, preceding the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit to be hosted by Turkey in Ankara on July 7-8.
High-Level Participation and Key Discussions
The panel saw significant participation from over 20 countries, including ambassadors, diplomats, representatives from various international organizations, officials from Dutch public institutions, and academics from several Dutch universities.
The event commenced with a meeting for press members at the Turkish Embassy in The Hague. During this session, Nurşin Ateşoğlu Güney, Member of the Turkish Presidency’s Security and Foreign Policy Council, Murat Aslan, Faculty Member at Hasan Kalyoncu University, and Yusuf Özhan, Deputy General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of Anadolu Agency, addressed questions from national and international press members residing in The Hague. Their discussions focused on the upcoming Ankara summit, Turkey’s contributions to NATO, and recent international issues.
Key topics covered during the meeting included evolving global security threats, the alliance’s security ecosystem, Turkey’s vital role in the security of NATO and the EU, and the importance of its developing defense industry.
Video Message from Communications Director and Panel Discussions
The second part of the event, the panel program, began with opening remarks from Martijn Pluim, Director of the Clingendael Institute, and Fatma Ceren Yazgan, Turkey’s Ambassador to The Hague. Following this, a video message from the Turkish Presidency’s Director of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, was broadcast.
The panel, held under the Chatham House Rule at the Clingendael Institute’s headquarters, was moderated by Bart Van Den Berg, Program Manager for Defense and Security Research at the Clingendael Institute. Speakers included former NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Anna Van Zoest, Director of the Netherlands Atlantic Commission, Nurşin Ateşoğlu Güney, Murat Aslan, and Yusuf Özhan.
Discussions during the panel addressed the changing security environment, the rise of hybrid threats, the impact of artificial intelligence on security, and NATO’s capacity to adapt to these threats. The panel highlighted Turkey’s prominence as an alliance member within NATO, emphasizing its possession of the alliance’s second-largest army and its field experience. The strategic value of Turkey’s developing defense industry technologies and its importance for NATO and European security were also underscored.
NATO Summit in Ankara and Turkey’s Strategic Role
It was noted that the upcoming NATO Summit would take place at a critical juncture given the current global security environment. The panel assessed that the summit would focus on NATO’s future adaptability to hybrid threats, its defense capabilities, and its comprehensive security approach.
Furthermore, the panel emphasized Turkey’s geostrategic position, its mediation capabilities in engaging with various actors, its defense capacity, and its effective and constructive role within the alliance, particularly in the context of NATO’s holistic security, not just its southern flank.
