Türkiye seeks Arab participation at NATO summit
Ankara reportedly wants Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and several Arab leaders invited to July gathering amid debate over Iran war agenda
ANKARA, Türkiye (MNTV) — Türkiye is reportedly seeking to invite Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and several Arab leaders to a NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara in July, according to Turkish media reports.
The proposed invitations would include leaders from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt for the July 7-8 summit, which Türkiye is hosting as part of broader efforts to increase regional diplomatic engagement around security issues.
According to reports citing the Ankara-based TurkeyinDepth newsletter, Turkish officials are also pushing for the ongoing Iran war to be formally discussed during the summit, a move that has reportedly generated unease among some NATO member states.
The report said Ankara views the participation of Arab leaders as part of a wider strategy to strengthen regional cooperation and provide greater international visibility to Syria’s new leadership following political changes in Damascus.
Türkiye has long emphasized the importance of NATO’s “southern flank” and broader regional security concerns involving the Middle East, migration, terrorism and energy security.
However, some NATO allies are said to prefer keeping the summit primarily focused on the Russia-Ukraine war and European security challenges rather than expanding discussions to the Iran conflict or broader Middle Eastern disputes.
The report also said Türkiye wants discussions on the future of NATO-Russia relations included on the agenda, although several European allies reportedly remain opposed to renewed engagement with Moscow at this stage.
NATO summits traditionally invite selected non-member partner countries to attend certain sessions or official dinners alongside alliance leaders.
According to the report, Türkiye wants Arab participation to extend beyond NATO’s existing Gulf partnership framework known as the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which currently includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Analysts cited in the report said Ankara is seeking to position itself as a key diplomatic bridge between NATO and the Middle East at a time of growing geopolitical instability and divisions within the transatlantic alliance.
The summit is expected to take place amid heightened tensions surrounding the wars in Ukraine and Iran, as well as broader debates over NATO’s future strategic direction.
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