Turkey's Erdoğan meets Hungarian, Lithuanian leaders in Brussels

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a meeting with Hungarian and Lithuanian leaders shortly after arriving in Brussels to attend Monday’s NATO summit.

Erdoğan was welcomed by Turkey’s Permanent Representative to NATO Basat Öztürk, Ambassador to the EU Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Ambassador to Belgium Hasan Ulusoy, Military Representative to NATO Lt. Gen. Ismail Üner, Consul General in Brussels Umut Deniz, and other officials.

He met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

He is accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan as well as Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, and Osman Aşkınn Bak, the head of the Turkish delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Leaders of NATO countries at the summit will discuss the path that the military alliance will follow over the next decade in the face of challenges such as China, Russia, and cyber threats.

The leaders will gather at NATO headquarters in Brussels for the first time since 2018.

Erdoğan will also meet with U.S. President Joe Biden – their first meeting since Biden took office – as well as with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and other world leaders.