Last week was an eventful week in Türkiye.
The NATO Summit held in Ankara topped the agenda.
After the summit, claims that S-400 air defense systems Türkiye purchased from Russia would be sold to another country became a main topic of discussion.
On the 10th anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt., the country saw renewed investigations into FETÖ (Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization).
NATO Summit in Ankara
Amid debates, preparations and protests, the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government was held on July 7–8, 2026, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
It was the second NATO Summit hosted by Türkiye, following the 2004 Istanbul Summit.
Preparations launched ahead of the summit, along with the security measures taken during the event, sparked nationwide debates. Many people were detained in anti-NATO meetings and demonstrations across the country.
The summit was attended by the leaders of 32 member states, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
After the Summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, “This historic summit, which we hosted at a time when Euro-Atlantic security is being tested, has been conducted in a manner that will shape our common future”.
Commenting on the outcome of the summit, Erdoğan said, “In Ankara, we have laid the groundwork for a stronger NATO whereby the European allies will assume greater responsibility within the Alliance and our military capabilities will be strengthened through fair burden sharing.”
In his speeches, Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye’s full commitment and support for NATO.
Erdoğan also referred to the bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the summit, giving special emphasis to his meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Trump also stressed that Türkiye’s hosting of the summit and his “friendship” with Erdoğan were decisive factors in his attendance.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the summit as “historic” and drew attention to Türkiye’s decisive role within the Alliance.
The main agenda of the Summit were increasing defense spending, NATO’s future vision (NATO 3.0), military support for Ukraine, counterterrorism and burden-sharing within the Alliance.
In line with the decisions taken at the 2025 Hague Summit, allies sought to reach agreement on raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.
The Summit also addressed the need for European allies to assume a more active role within the Alliance and to strengthen Europe’s own defense industry capacity.
A 70-billion-euro military support package for Ukraine, covering the 2026–2027 period, was also announced.
Another notable point at the summit was US President Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of allied countries.
Trump criticized European allies for failing to provide sufficient support in the war against Iran. He also threatened to cut off all trade with Spain, whose defense spending he deemed insufficient. Trump further raised tensions by reiterating his demand that Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark, should be controlled by the US.
By contrast, Trump offered special praise for Erdoğan. Referring to the Turkish president, Trump said, “I want to thank President Erdoğan, who’s really a great man. He’s a great leader. He’s a friend of mine, been a friend of mine for a long time. He’s a strong person, a very strong personality, and that’s why he runs such a successful and good country.”
Wide-ranging defense industry agreements were signed during the Summit.
The agreements included European countries purchasing unmanned aerial vehicles from the US company Northrop Grumman and NATO acquiring aircraft from the Swedish company Saab.
During the Summit, President Erdoğan held bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The meetings addressed Türkiye-EU relations, defense cooperation and regional issues.
During Erdoğan’s meeting with Starmer, Türkiye and the United Kingdom signed a Joint Statement Regarding Security and Defence Partnership. The agreement is expected to take “strategic cooperation” between the two countries to a new level.
In Erdoğan’s meeting with Meloni, bilateral trade and migration came to the fore. In his meeting with Merz, Türkiye-EU relations and visa liberalization were discussed.
Speaking at the closing of the Summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, “NATO is stronger than ever,” and announced that the next summit would be held in Albania.
Claims of S-400 sale to a third country
Another major topic on Türkiye’s agenda last week, also linked to the NATO Summit, was the claim that the S-400 air defense systems purchased from Russia in 2019, which has caused great concern for the US, would be sold to a third country.
After Türkiye had purchased the S-400 air defense systems from Russia, the US removed Türkiye from the F-35 program and imposed sanctions under CAATSA.
The claim was put on the agenda by Abdulkadir Selvi a journalist and columnist close to the government in the Hürriyet newspaper, which is also close to the government.
According to Selvi, S-400 air defense systems have been transferred to a third country, and the technical and procedural issues related to the sale have been resolved. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are the names most frequently mentioned as potential buyers.
This claim has not yet been confirmed by official authorities.
However, AKP Deputy Chairman Hasan Basri Yalçın denied the claims that the S-400s would be sold during a television program. “What is being discussed is nothing but various speculations. The S-400 issue has absolutely nothing to do with the F-35 issue.”
Another statement on the issue came from Doğu Perinçek, leader of the Vatan Party.
Speaking on a television channel, Perinçek harshly criticized the government’s alleged transfer of the S-400s to another country.
Perinçek was asked about President Erdoğan’s earlier statement on the S-400s that “We are determined, we will not take a step back,” as well as previous remarks by the Ministry of National Defense, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries and the head of ROKETSAN that the F-35s were not suitable for Türkiye, Perinçek replied: “With this shift of policy, the AK Party is moving onto FETÖ’s line. To align with NATO is to align with FETÖ. To align with FETÖ is to align with NATO.”
Perinçek made the following remarks:
“There are such vacillations under the AK Party government. They will not be able to continue like this. The AK Party is trapped in a dead end. (…) The AK Party’s votes are falling, and it is anxious about losing the election. It has the chance to raise its votes by turning toward a production revolution, securing Türkiye’s independence, and moving toward a Türkiye-Russia-China-Iran alliance. Instead, it is heading toward a line that will hit rock bottom.”
Moscow also commented on the issue. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the S-400s issue is “extremely sensitive,” saying that contacts with the Turkish side are continuing.
Renewed FETÖ investigations on the 10th Anniversary of the coup attempt
On the 10th anniversary of the US-backed July 15 coup attempt, Türkiye saw new waves of operations against FETÖ.
According to a joint statement issued by the Justice and Interior Ministries, counterterrorism operations targeting 968 suspects were carried out in all 81 provinces. The statements reads:
“As we mark the anniversary of the treacherous July 15 coup attempt, we remember with mercy our beloved martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our homeland, our flag, our democracy and our national will, and we commemorate our heroic veterans with gratitude.
Our struggle against the FETÖ/PDY armed terrorist organization, which was defeated by the epic resistance of our beloved nation, continues with the same determination, vigilance and sensitivity despite the years that have passed.
Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our state has carried out a major purification campaign with all its institutions since July 15 and has waged an uncompromising struggle against this network of betrayal, which targeted the will of our nation, the survival of our state and our legal order.
As a result of the joint efforts carried out by our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the police departments of all 81 provinces and our provincial gendarmerie commands to expose the FETÖ/PDY armed terrorist organization, operations were launched this morning against 968 suspects in all 81 provinces.
(…)”
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that an important stage had been reached in the investigation into the helicopter crash on March 25, 2009, in which Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, the leader of the Great Unity Party (BBP), and the delegation accompanying him lost their lives.
Minister Gürlek said in his statement:
“The investigation into the helicopter crash on March 25, 2009, in which the late Great Unity Party Chairman Mr. Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and the delegation accompanying him lost their lives, has left a deep mark on the conscience of our nation and has long been one of the foremost files awaiting clarification.
Our judicial authorities and law enforcement units continue their work in strong coordination and cooperation to clarify every aspect of this file, reveal the material truth and ensure that everyone responsible is held accountable before the law.
As part of the investigation, 29 suspects were identified who are considered to have committed the crimes of establishing, leading and belonging to an armed terrorist organization, as well as premeditated intentional killing. Simultaneous operations were carried out at 30 addresses in the cities of Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Balıkesir, Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Bursa, Isparta and Afyonkarahisar. 25 suspects were detained. It was determined that two suspects are in prison and two are abroad, and efforts to capture the fugitive suspects are continuing.”
The suspicion of FETÖ involvement in the crash of Yazıcıoğlu’s helicopter had also been largely discussed in Turkish public and politics.