Diyar Guldogan
07 July 2026•Update: 07 July 2026
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and first lady Emine Erdogan hosted a reception and official state dinner Tuesday evening in honor of heads of state and government and their spouses attending the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in the capital Ankara.
The reception, held at the winter garden section of the presidential complex, brought together leaders from NATO member countries, as well as the Asia-Pacific Four (AP4) partners - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea - and invited heads of state and government.
Erdogan and the first lady welcomed the leaders and their spouses on the steps of the presidential complex's main building, greeting each guest individually before posing for commemorative photographs.
A family photo was taken before the reception. In the photo, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife stood to the right of Erdogan and Emine Erdogan, while US President Donald Trump stood to their left.
Erdogan also had brief conversations with some leaders during the photo session.
Guests at the reception were served dishes from Turkish cuisine.
During the leaders' arrival, the Turkish Armed Forces' military band performed traditional marches.
Trump appeared to enjoy the performance, giving a thumbs-up in appreciation as the Mehter band played.
The summit in Ankara is bringing together leaders of the 32-member alliance as well as key partners to discuss Europe’s defense capacity, the alliance’s defense spending targets, military modernization, and continued support for Ukraine.
The Ankara meeting marks the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye, following the 2004 Istanbul summit. The gathering also provides a platform for bilateral meetings between Türkiye and allied countries on political, security and economic cooperation.
Earlier Tuesday, Erdogan separately met with Trump, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
On Wednesday, the Turkish president will deliver the opening speech of the summit. Later, Erdogan and other NATO leaders will pose for a family photo.
