Turkish top diplomat to attend NATO meeting in Brussels

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will participate in the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on April 3-4, according to diplomatic sources.

The meeting comes ahead of the NATO summit in June and is expected to set the stage for further policy coordination among member states.

The sources said the meeting, marking the first collective consultation between the new US administration and NATO allies, will cover a range of security issues, including collective defence, the Ukraine war, and NATO’s cooperation with its Asia-Pacific partners.

The meeting will be held in four sessions.

The first, attended solely by NATO’s 32 member states, will focus on burden-sharing, defence expenditures, European security, strengthening defence industry infrastructure and preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague this June.

Discussions will also cover the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its long-term impact on European security.

Türkiye's role

Fidan is expected to underscore Ankara's strategic key role in Euro-Atlantic security, noting that Türkiye remains a pillar of NATO’s southeastern flank, contributing to regional stability through its strong military and advanced defence industry.

The second session will expand discussions to NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners – Australia, South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand – addressing shared security challenges and deepening cooperation.

Fidan is expected to stress that global security challenges require closer cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners.

The third session, convened as the NATO-Ukraine Council, will feature Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas.

Talks will centre on Ukraine’s urgent military and economic needs, the broader geopolitical implications of the war and potential post-war security frameworks.

Türkiye, which has played a key mediating role in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, is expected to continue advocating for diplomacy.

Fidan is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s stance, affirming that it supports Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity while advocating for a sustainable ceasefire and lasting peace in the war that continues for more than three years.

The final session will focus on NATO-EU cooperation, where Kallas will brief NATO ministers on the EU’s latest security and defence initiatives, including the European Defence Fund and the Strategic Compass.

Fidan is expected to emphasise that Türkiye is an inseparable part of European security, and EU defence efforts must include European allies outside the bloc.

He is also expected to voice Türkiye’s position on greater participation in EU defence industry projects.