July 9, 2026

The NATO summit in Ankara has concluded, and one of its key takeaways is that Turkey has significantly strengthened its position within the Alliance. Ankara has effectively positioned itself as a key player on NATO’s southern flank.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used the summit not only as a platform for negotiations but also as an opportunity to demonstrate Turkey’s growing political weight. An air show, the opening of a new airport terminal named after Donald Trump, and direct discussions on the possible lifting of sanctions and Turkey’s return to the F-35 program were all part of this strategy. Reuters has already described the summit as a diplomatic success for the Turkish president.

Ankara’s growing influence is not solely the result of Erdoğan’s active diplomacy. The balance of power within NATO is gradually changing. Italy has lost some of its status as one of Trump’s key European partners following his falling-out with Giorgia Meloni, while a reduction in the U.S. military presence in Europe is creating space for new centers of influence. Turkey has been quick to capitalize on that opening.

Erdoğan’s personal relationship with Trump, Ankara’s role as an intermediary between Ukraine and russia, and Turkey’s powerful defense industry with its substantial export potential have given the country something many other allies currently lack: a direct political channel to the White House.

Significantly, during the summit, the United Kingdom signed a separate agreement with Turkey on cooperation in cybersecurity and defense industries. This further confirms that Ankara is emerging as one of the key centers of gravity within the Alliance.

For Ukraine, this shift in the balance of influence has practical implications. Turkey’s intermediary role in contacts with moscow is gaining additional political weight, while its closer relationship with Washington could either facilitate efforts to find a path toward ending the war or complicate them — depending on which interests Erdoğan ultimately considers a priority.

Erdoğan is moving into the front row of NATO politics. The key question is not simply who hosted the summit, but who managed to turn it into greater political leverage.