Defense ministers from NATO member states will gather at alliance headquarters in Brussels on 8 June to review defense planning and current security issues. Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul will head Türkiye's delegation at the meeting.
Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak will join a special session focused on expanding the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, where he is expected to urge allied nations to increase their commitment to his country.
Ministers will also take up the Comprehensive Political Guidance, one of three foundational alliance documents, which covers capability priorities, civil-military cooperation, collective defense, and evolving security requirements. The document is slated for formal adoption at the NATO summit in Riga, Latvia, on 28-29 November. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council will hold a parallel defense-ministerial session the same day.
Separately, Türkiye is preparing to take over rotating command of the land component of the NATO Response Force (NRF) in the first half of 2007, having previously held that command in 2003 and 2004. The NRF, comprising roughly 25,000 troops at full strength with a 2,500-strong land element, is expected to reach full operational capability in 2006.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.