Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb in the capital Ankara, as the two-day NATO summit kicked off.
Meeting at the presidential complex on Tuesday, Erdogan and Stubb discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global matters, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Noting that it was pleasing that trade relations between Türkiye and Finland had gained momentum, Erdogan said the countries would continue to work to advance cooperation.
Highlighting the importance of strongly demonstrating alliance solidarity at the summit, Erdogan said Türkiye’s potential contribution to the European Security Strategy "should not be overlooked," and that the European Union’s efforts to ensure stability and security in Europe should be complementary to NATO.
Erdogan stressed that Türkiye was making efforts for the resolution of the wars in both Iran and Ukraine through dialogue.
Türkiye was making efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and ensure uninterrupted access of humanitarian aid to the region, the president added.
‘Türkiye is an important ally to Finland’
Later on Tuesday, Stubb will attend a dinner hosted by Erdogan and first lady Emine Erdogan in honour of the heads of state and government and their spouses.
Stubb, for his part, thanked Erdogan for hosting the summit.
"Türkiye is an important ally to Finland in the areas of security and economy. Together, we are building a safer Europe. I commended Türkiye for its preparedness to host peace negotiations to achieve a sustainable and just peace in Ukraine," Stubb said on X.
Finland became a full member of NATO in 2023.
NATO heads of state and government are meeting in Ankara for the alliance's 2026 summit, which focuses on implementing the defence spending commitments agreed at last year's summit in The Hague, sustaining military support for Ukraine and expanding defence industrial production.
