Ankara is promoting “gastrodiplomacy” to strengthen international ties ahead of the NATO summit

Just days before the NATO summit scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Ankara, Turkey has been showcasing its culinary heritage as a diplomatic tool. The Turkish presidency's communications director, Burhanettin Duran, hosted international journalists on Sunday for a dinner intended to illustrate what the authorities are presenting as a strategy of "gastrodiplomacy."

According to Burhanettin Duran, shared culinary experiences can create deeper bonds than formal diplomatic exchanges. "Sometimes, a meal shared around a table can express what pages of documents cannot," he told reporters gathered in Ankara.

The official presented the program entitled "Turkey's Model of Gastrodiplomacy: The Heritage Table," in which cuisine is described as a tool of soft power. He emphasized the idea of ​​a table without hierarchy, a symbol of equality and dialogue, based on local traditions of conviviality.

Burhanettin Duran also highlighted the cultural and international importance of Turkish gastronomy, citing several cities recognized by UNESCO for their culinary heritage, such as Gaziantep, Hatay, and Afyonkarahisar. He praised initiatives promoting Turkish cuisine, including Turkish Cuisine Week, supported by First Lady Emine Erdoğan.

According to him, this approach also aligns with a logic of sustainability, highlighting practices such as "zero waste" and the promotion of local products. Turkish cuisine is thus presented as a vehicle for universal values ​​and cultural influence.

Several international journalists present at the event praised Turkey's hospitality and the symbolic gesture. Some emphasized the strategic importance of the NATO summit in the context of international tensions, particularly the war in Ukraine and the debates on security in Europe.

For Ankara, this initiative is part of a broader desire to strengthen its role as a bridge between East and West, combining traditional diplomacy and instruments of cultural influence in the lead-up to a summit where defense and transatlantic cooperation issues will be at the heart of discussions.