Türkiye: Ankara summit will strengthen defense cooperation: Latvian president.

SHOTLIST: ANKARA, TÜRKİYE (JULY 8, 2026) 1. LATVIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKING TO REPORTER (English) ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - JULY 8: Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has said the NATO summit in Ankara will provide fresh momentum for bilateral defense cooperation and defense industrial partnerships, while reiterating Latvia's support for Ukraine's future membership in the alliance. Speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of the 36th NATO Summit, Rinkevics described relations between Latvia and Türkiye as "excellent." "I believe we have very good political and economic cooperation," he said. Highlighting the large number of heads of state and government attending the summit, Rinkevics said the gathering would strengthen both multilateral and bilateral ties. "I believe this will provide a major boost not only to multilateral relations but also to bilateral defense cooperation, particularly cooperation in the defense industry," he said. Rinkevics also mentioned the establishment of the Defense, Security, and Resilience Bank, or DSR Bank, which will fund defense industrial cooperation between Latvia, Canada, and Türkiye. "We are interested in developing new technologies, drones, counter-drone systems and electronic warfare systems. We want to find new partners," he said, adding that Latvia's defense minister and a defense industry delegation are attending the summit and accompanying exhibition to explore new areas of cooperation. Turning to the war in Ukraine, Rinkevics said Russia has shown no willingness to negotiate a peace agreement. He said Ukraine has demonstrated its ability to defend itself and has made significant technological advances during more than four years of resisting Russia's invasion. While expressing hope for a political and diplomatic path to lasting peace, Rinkevics said he has seen no indication that Russia is prepared to pursue such an outcome. "President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and many other leaders have made every effort. At the moment, we do not see progress," he said. Rinkevics reiterated Latvia's long-standing support for Ukraine joining NATO but acknowledged that consensus within the alliance has not yet been reached. "If Ukraine becomes a NATO member, we will all benefit," he said. "But this is a decision that should be taken unanimously. And so far, we do not have this unanimous, let's say, accord within the alliance.”