NATO Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government, hosted by the United Kingdom, was held in Cardiff on 4-5 September 2014. Turkey was represented in the Summit by a delegation headed by H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic. H.E. Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Mr. İsmet Yılmaz, Minister of National Defense also participated in the Summit.

Within the scope of the Summit priority issues on the agenda of the Alliance were discussed. In this context, extensive meetings were held regarding the crisis in Ukraine, political situation in Iraq and the withdrawal of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014 and the implementation of “Mission Resolute Support” in 2015.

Addressing to the leaders of NATO Member countries on the second day of the summit, President Erdogan stated that in Syria and Iraq, decisive steps are needed to be taken in a comprehensive manner against the violence that jeopardizes regional security and stability. Furthermore, President Erdoğan pointed out that Turkey’s support to Afghanistan, which is going through a critical and a fragile process would continue and that Turkey will play a leading role in Mission Resolute Support.

In his speech, President Erdoğan stressed that the efforts aimed at the prevention of the isolation of the Crimean Tatars and the resolution of the crisis should be supported.

Whilst accompanying the President throughout his meetings, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu also held bilateral talks with his counterparts whom also participated in the summit. In this context, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu had meetings with John Kerry, Secretary of State, Pavlo Kilimkin, Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France and Philip Hammond, Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom.