An informal meeting of NATO at the level of foreign ministers will take place in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya on May 14-15, the defense alliance said in a brief statement on Thursday.
The high-level gathering will be chaired by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Turkish officials have yet to make a statement about the prospective meeting.
Türkiye in February marked the 73rd anniversary of its entry into NATO, three years after the post-World War II military alliance was established. Since then, Türkiye has played a critical role in the Western-centric bloc, which expanded its influence across Europe. Commanding one of the strongest armies in the alliance, the country is also a key member of NATO due to its location on the southeastern tip of Europe, at the gateway to Asia for Europe.
The country provides financial and personnel support to NATO, primarily for building defense capacity. In 2024, it became one of 24 NATO members achieving a 2.09% goal in the proportion of estimated defense expenditures to gross domestic product (GDP).
Türkiye also hosts critical NATO facilities, including the Allied Land Command, which is located in the western city of Izmir, and the Rapid Deployable Corps, which is based in Istanbul. In the capital, Ankara, it hosts the Centre of Excellence for Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) and the Partnership for Peace Training Center. Istanbul hosts the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (MARSEC COE).
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