Esra Tekin
24 July 2026•Update: 24 July 2026
Hosting the NATO summit in Ankara two decades after the Istanbul summit was "a source of great pride and happiness," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.
Responding to the questions from reporters in Istanbul, Erdogan noted that there have been many thank-you calls for the summit.
"We continuously received messages of thanks and telephone calls. In particular, the hospitality and courtesies we extended on the opening day greatly pleased our guests. All the leaders, beginning with (US President) Donald Trump, were genuinely experiencing very different emotions. They shared those feelings and their happiness with us in a very special way, both during and after the dinner," said Erdogan.
"Those who attended with their spouses also expressed their happiness during the fashion show they attended with my wife, as well as during the dinner," he further said.
'We are extremely happy' about reopening Hagia Sophia for worship
Marking the sixth anniversary of the reopening of Hagia Sophia for worship, Erdogan expressed his “great happiness.”
"Praise be to God, we were granted the privilege of reopening the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque for worship, whose sixth anniversary we are honored to celebrate. Naturally, we are extremely happy about this," he added.
Noting that Türkiye had not only reopened Hagia Sophia but also restored it, Erdogan said: "We were also granted the honor of restoring it to the Islamic world."
The restoration and renovation work at the mosque was continuing, said Erdogan, adding: "The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, which opens its doors both to the Islamic world and to all humanity, to Christians and Muslims alike, naturally makes all of us very happy. We are truly proud to be experiencing that happiness today. With its architectural features and its place in the world, this place of worship is a truly unique monument and a truly exceptional sanctuary."
On his telephone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over Spain's football win in the World Cup, Erdogan said that it was entirely natural for Sanchez, as the prime minister of a world champion country, to experience such happiness.
“God willing, we too will one day be blessed with such a championship and achieve a world title. We started well, but it did not end well. In the future, there may be European championships ahead of us, or perhaps another opportunity to compete for the world championship. If we can achieve such successes, they would certainly suit Türkiye very well," he added.
