As the countdown continues for the NATO Summit to be hosted by Ankara on July 7-8, 2026, preparations are accelerating in the capital. Activity focuses on sites along the approximately 17.5-km route from the Presidential Palace, where the leaders' summit will take place, to the military airfield in Etimesgut.
Construction is continuing on the joint headquarters along this route, which will bring together the Defense Ministry, General Staff and the force commands. The new headquarters, which will be operational in 2026, will host meetings between defense ministers and military leaders during the summit.
Etimesgut Airport, which has been used for military purposes since the 1930s, is being converted into a civilian VIP airport. The runway will be extended to 3,000 meters in length and 60 meters in width, a parking area for up to 50 aircraft will be created, and a VIP lounge will be built to host heads of state and government, Airporthaber reported.
With the exception of wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, all other aircraft types will be able to take off and land. So it does not appear possible for U.S. President Donald Trump's Boeing 747 aircraft, known as Air Force One, to use this airport. Leaders arriving on smaller aircraft will be able to reach the Presidential Palace within 15 minutes.
The Foreign Ministry will also move to a new service building three years later, which is being constructed close to the General Staff Headquarters and the National Intelligence Organization.
