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NATO Heads of State and Government, and key partners
Ankara, Türkiye
7-8 July 2026
To review progress made since the 2025 Summit in The Hague and set out a roadmap to continue delivering on NATO’s key objectives
The Ankara Summit logo features the Beştepe Presidential Complex, the location where the summit will take place.
“Here in Ankara, Allies reaffirmed their ironclad commitment to collective defence under Article 5 – that an attack on one is an attack on all, and we will stand together. Our unity, solidarity and collective strength remain the foundation of peace, security and prosperity.”
8 July 2026
Key announcements
Allied Leaders made major announcements in Ankara to keep NATO strong and to keep the Alliance’s one billion citizens safe. Read the full text of the 2026 Ankara Summit Declaration here.
"There is no strong defence without a strong defence industry"
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
The NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF26), NATO’s premier high-level event on transatlantic defence production, investment and innovation, took place on 7 July 2026 in Ankara, Türkiye. An integral part of the 2026 NATO Summit, the Forum brought together senior NATO, Allied and partner officials, industry leaders, and the communities responsible for driving forward industry and innovation to discuss its most pressing issues.
This year, the Forum focused on Allied progress towards reaching NATO’s historic 5% defence investment plan, and on how this money is being put into action to generate increased defence production, cooperation and joint procurement, all in the service of generating stronger industrial deterrence for the Alliance.
The 2026 Ankara Summit is the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye. In 2004, a landmark summit was hosted in Istanbul, which was attended by leaders from 26 Allies and took place only a few months after NATO’s largest round of enlargement to date, the ‘Big Bang’ accession of seven new members.
From formal meetings to behind-the scenes moments, take a trip back to the 2004 Istanbul Summit through the photos below...
Did you know? NATO’s connection to Türkiye goes beyond high-level meetings and military exercises, and can be found in some unexpected places.
In Istanbul, located in the historic district Karaköy, you can find Nato Lokantasi: a traditional Turkish restaurant that has been serving customers since 1952 – the same year that Türkiye joined NATO.
The name Nato Lokantasi reflects what was then one of the most significant developments in the country's modern history. It has operated in the same Karaköy neighbourhood since its founding, making it older than most of NATO's headquarters buildings.
An illustration of the restaurant made by a visiting tourist.
How well do you know your NATO summits? Put your knowledge to the test...
How well do you know your NATO Summits? Put your knowledge to the test!
Which city has hosted the most NATO summits?
London
Brussels
Washington
Paris
Brussels has hosted 12 NATO summits – more than any other city, which makes sense since Brussels is home to NATO Headquarters. The runner-up title is currently held by Washington, D.C., which has hosted three summits. The Summits in Brussels took place in 1974, 1975, 1985, 1988, twice in 1989, 1994, 2005, 2018, 2021 and twice in 2022 (including NATO’s first-ever extraordinary virtual summit, hosted via secure videoconference by the Secretary General from NATO Headquarters on the day after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine).
Which summit approved NATO's first Strategic Concept following the Cold War?
Rome 1991
Washington 1999
Rome 2002
Brussels 1994
The 1991 Summit in Rome, which took place on 7-8 November, approved NATO's first Strategic Concept of the post-Cold War era. It was a landmark moment that fundamentally redefined the Alliance's purpose and direction after the collapse of the Soviet bloc and imminent dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Which NATO summit marked the Alliance's 50th Anniversary?
Brussels 1998
Istanbul 2004
Washington 1999
Prague 2002
The 1999 Washington Summit, held from 23 to 25 April, took place during a significant period in NATO's history, as leaders gathered to celebrate the Alliance's half-century milestone. The signing of the North Atlantic Treaty took place 50 years prior in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. In 1999, NATO Leaders met in a commemorative ceremony in the same room where the Treaty was signed, at the US State Department.
Summits have occurred in all of the below cities except one - which city has not hosted a summit?
Vilnius
Ottawa
Bonn
Warsaw
Bonn hosted a NATO summit in 1982, Warsaw hosted a NATO summit in 2016, and Vilnius hosted a summit in 2023. Despite being the capital city of a founding NATO Ally (Canada), and being the site of many important NATO ministerial meetings, Ottawa has never hosted a NATO summit.
Which summit approved the Readiness Action Plan after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea?
Chicago 2012
Wales 2014
Warsaw 2016
Brussels 2018
The 2014 Wales Summit, held in Newport, Wales on 4-5 September, took place just months after Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. At this summit, NATO Leaders formally approved the Readiness Action Plan, designed to ensure that the Alliance could respond quickly and decisively to emerging threats, particularly along the eastern flank.
Only one of the following cities has hosted a summit - which one?
Reykjavik
Tallinn
Athens
Riga
Athens, Reykjavik and Tallinn have all hosted NATO ministerial meetings, but only Riga has hosted a NATO summit with heads of state and government.
Only one of the following cities has hosted a summit - which one?
Tirana
Oslo
New York
Prague
Out of New York, Oslo, Prague and Tirana, only Prague has hosted a NATO summit. The 2002 Prague Summit was held on 21-22 November, and was a landmark meeting for the Alliance. It is best known for being the summit where NATO invited seven countries to join the Alliance, which became the largest single round of enlargement in NATO history, known as the ‘Big Bang’ enlargement of 2004.
How many Allied countries have not yet hosted a summit?
17
10
19
8
NATO currently has 32 Allies – 17 of which have yet to host a summit: Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. The other 15 Allies have hosted summits: Belgium (Brussels), Czechia (Prague), France (Paris and Strasbourg), Germany (Bonn and Kehl), Italy (Rome), Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius), the Netherlands (The Hague), Poland (Warsaw), Portugal (Lisbon), Romania (Bucharest), Spain (Madrid), Türkiye (Istanbul and now Ankara), the United Kingdom (London and Wales) and the United States (Chicago and Washington, D.C.).
