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EDITION Turkish English BHSC Russian French Arabic Kurdish Kurdish Albanian Persian Macedonian Bahasa Indonesia Spanish Agenda The Chairman of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Oktay stated that the NATO Summit will be held during a critical period. Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament and AK Party Ankara Deputy, emphasized that the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara will take place at a critical time and expressed expectations for strong messages of unity and solidarity from the summit.
Eren Beksaç June 10, 2026 • Updated: June 10, 2026 TALLINN Following the "4th Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Turkey and the Baltic States" held in Tallinn, Estonia, Fuat Oktay explained that the Foreign Affairs Committee has been engaged in intensive contacts in Estonia for two days.
Oktay noted that high-level relations between Turkey and Estonia are progressing very positively, stating, "When we look at the high-level dimension, we actually have very positive relations and we are talking about two countries without any problems. There are very close cooperations not only at the government and state levels but also between the parliaments."
He mentioned meeting with members of the Estonian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and also meeting with Estonian Parliament Speaker Lauri Hussar within the scope of the upcoming NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), highlighting that they had the opportunity to discuss both the NATO agenda and matters related to his visit to Turkey.
Oktay added that during their ongoing contacts in Tallinn, various meetings were held under the NB8 format, which brings together Nordic and Baltic countries. He noted that Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were also in Estonia, adding momentum to the discussions.
Drawing attention to serious concerns in regional countries, especially Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, due to the Russia-Ukraine War, Oktay said, "No matter how serious the situation is, we emphasize the need to remain calm and that the solution is not war, should not be war, and will not be war at any level. We convey this to Russia and Ukraine alike.
We also communicate this to all our Western allies. We actually expressed similar views here as well."
Oktay stressed the need to support cooperation within NATO also at the European Union (EU) level, saying, "On one hand, you say let's act together on security, but when it comes to the EU's security-related efforts—meaning the stage where Europe is establishing its own defense industry or defense budget and preparations, referring to the SAFE program—telling Turkey 'you stay a bit outside' is not an appropriate approach. We tried to explain this here."
He emphasized that the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8 will take place during a critical period and that strong messages of unity and solidarity are expected from the summit.
Oktay also reported that economic relations between Turkey and Estonia have developed, with the trade volume between the two countries exceeding 600 million dollars. He pointed out that cooperation in the defense industry is increasing day by day, recalling that last year Turkish companies Otokar and Nurol supplied land vehicles. He continued:
"Now, in addition, there is a new agreement worth 300 million dollars. The previous ones were from Otokar and Nurol, and now there is an investment from ARCA. Therefore, we have made some initiatives to implement this as soon as possible."
Oktay said that within the framework of quadrilateral meetings, they received briefings from the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service on developments related to the Ukraine-Russia War and preparations in the Baltic countries, and held comprehensive evaluations with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
He also mentioned receiving information from organizations conducting Estonia's cybersecurity work, noting Estonia's intensive efforts in digitalization. Oktay said, "We also have very intensive work under Digital Turkey. Cybersecurity is currently a top priority for us, and a high-level council, monitoring and follow-up mechanisms, and even a strategic top institution have been established. We looked at what we can do in this area."
Highlighting the importance of unity and solidarity, Oktay said, "The worst peace is better than the best war. Therefore, preparation is important; we must be ready for all kinds of risks, but on the other hand, how can efforts be directed more towards peace rather than war, and how can new communication channels be opened? We had intensive discussions on this."
Oktay noted that a new era is taking shape in Europe not only because of the Russia-Ukraine War but also due to developments in transatlantic relations, stating:
"The panic atmosphere across Europe is related to problems in the transatlantic relationship. It's not just about Russia-Ukraine. Until recently, Europe said 'NATO exists, the US will protect us,' but today, Europe and the Baltic countries say, 'I must handle my own affairs, how can I do that?'
On the other hand, there is Turkey, which has taken responsibility, developed itself in this regard, built its defense industry, and entered this ongoing international turmoil, chaos, and confusion well prepared."
Oktay added that cooperation in this format with the Baltic countries will continue and that the next meeting will be held in Ankara next year. The news is shared by Anadolu Agency on its website and through the AA News Flow System (HAS) for subscribers, summarized. Please contact for subscription.
