President Lee Arrives in Türkiye for NATO Summit and Defense Industry Forum

President Lee Jae-myung, who has embarked on a five-day trip to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, arrived at Esenboğa International Airport in Türkiye on the afternoon of July 7 (local time).

President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung were greeted upon disembarking from Air Force One by Turkish officials, including Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Beste Pehlivan Sun, and Deputy Governor of Ankara Cem Akbay, as well as South Korean Ambassador to Türkiye Boo Suk-jong.

Two women in traditional Turkish attire presented bouquets of flowers to the President and the First Lady.

President Lee previously stated on his social media, "Following the G7 summit last month, I intend to further expand South Korea's role for global peace and security on the NATO stage this time."

He added, "South Korea, which received help from the international community for a long time, has now become a country that contributes responsibly to global peace and security. I will do my best during this visit to bring even greater pride to our citizens."

On the afternoon of July 7 (local time), President Lee will hold a small-group meeting with Secretary General Mark Rutte. He will then attend the NATO Defense Industry Forum, one of the official events of the summit, and deliver a keynote speech during a session themed, "Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base."

In the evening, he will attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the First Lady.

President Lee will continue his schedule, including the NATO summit and bilateral meetings with leaders from various countries, in Ankara, Türkiye, until tomorrow, July 8.

South Korea was invited by Secretary General Mark Rutte as a member of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners (IP4 countries: South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand).
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.