Visit of Poland President Karol Nawrocki to Türkiye (2026)

Visit of Polish President Karol Nawrocki to Türkiye is an official visit made by Karol Nawrocki to Türkiye on 23 June 2026 at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During the visit, Nawrocki was formally welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex, where the two leaders held bilateral and delegation-level talks and jointly held a press conference. The Polish delegation also visited the ASELSAN Gölbaşı Facilities. President Erdoğan hosted an official dinner in honor of Nawrocki.

^{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomes Polish President Karol Nawrocki during an official ceremony, 23 June 2026 - (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Polish President Karol Nawrocki, on his visit to Türkiye on 23 June, was formally welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Cavalry units greeted Nawrocki’s vehicle on the avenue in front of the Presidential Complex and accompanied it to the protocol entrance. President Erdoğan received Nawrocki at the main entrance of the Complex.

After both leaders took their positions on the ceremonial ground, the military band played the national anthems of both countries. The ceremony also featured flags representing the 16 Turkish states in history and a 21-gun salute.

Nawrocki greeted the Honor Guard Battalion with the words “Hello soldier.” The two leaders exchanged introductions of their respective delegations. President Erdoğan and Nawrocki shook hands in front of the Turkish and Polish flags on the staircase and posed for the press.

Also present at the ceremony were Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Head of the Presidential Communication Directorate Burhanettin Duran, Chief of the Presidential Private Office Hasan Doğan, General Secretary of the Presidency Hakkı Susmaz, Presidential Advisor for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, and Türkiye’s Ambassador to Warsaw Rauf Alp Denktaş, along with the Governor of Ankara Yakup Canbolat.

Following the official ceremony, President Erdoğan and President Nawrocki held a closed-door bilateral meeting.

^{President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomes Polish President Karol Nawrocki during an official ceremony, 23 June 2026 - (Anadolu Ajansı)}

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the joint press conference held at the Presidential Complex with Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

President Erdoğan began his remarks by expressing his delight at hosting Nawrocki and his delegation in Türkiye: “Drawing strength from our centuries-old ties with Poland, we are enhancing cooperation in all areas as two allied and strategic partners. In today’s consultations, we reaffirmed this determination and assessed the joint steps we will take.”

Erdoğan stated that during their talks, they exchanged views on numerous topics ranging from trade and investment to defense industry, energy and human relations, and announced that after achieving the target of $10 billion in bilateral trade, they have now set a new goal of $15 billion.

^{President Erdoğan speaks at the joint press conference with Polish President Nawrocki, 23 June 2026 - (Anadolu Ajansı)}

President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “Poland ranks among the most active countries for our contracting firms, with a project portfolio worth approximately $9 billion. We hope the number of such projects will further increase. Transportation constitutes another potential area for cooperation between our two countries. The Three Seas Initiative, of which we are strategic partners with Poland’s support, offers an important platform in this regard. Defense industry is also one of the leading items on our bilateral agenda. As you know, in the past we signed significant partnerships in this field, whether in UAVs or other defense projects. As two indispensable NATO allies within Europe’s security and defense architecture, we are working to strengthen this cooperation. Strengthening our centuries-old bilateral relations across a broad spectrum—from education and culture to science and tourism—will constitute a joint investment in the future of our friendship.”

President Erdoğan also noted that during their discussions they addressed Türkiye-EU relations as well as current regional and global issues, stating: “As we have consistently emphasized, we are committed to advancing our cooperation with the European Union on the basis of mutual benefit and respect. On this occasion, we thank Poland for its support for Türkiye’s EU accession process and hope this support will continue and grow.”

Erdoğan also said he and Nawrocki jointly assessed developments within the NATO context, adding: “Our shared priority is strengthening the European pillar of the Alliance and reinforcing its deterrence, as we prepare for the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on 7–8 July. At this juncture, we consider it essential that European allies assume greater responsibility and that the transatlantic bond be reinforced. In our discussions, we also thoroughly evaluated the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and Iran-related issues. In both cases, we highlighted the urgent need for peace. Among the issues that must never be sidelined, the foremost is the process toward lasting peace in Palestine and the Middle East. We expect Poland to continue its support for a two-state solution among countries that recognize the State of Palestine. ”

^{Polish President Nawrocki speaks at the joint press conference, 23 June 2026 - (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Polish President Karol Nawrocki addressed the joint press conference held at the Presidential Complex following his bilateral and delegation-level talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Nawrocki stated that the strategic importance of cooperation between Türkiye and Poland is evident and that collaboration between the two countries has developed across various fields, including defense industry.

Nawrocki emphasized that the friendship between the two nations spans centuries, saying: “Our meetings today are a symbol of the historical, positive and friendly foundations of our relations. I will have the opportunity to attend the upcoming NATO Summit. I would like to congratulate Türkiye for hosting the Summit in Ankara.”

Nawrocki noted that he and President Erdoğan discussed numerous issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war, and added: “ Poland and Türkiye play a vital role within the NATO alliance. Both countries are obligated to defend NATO’s flanks. Our cooperation in this area holds significant strategic importance. I would like to thank President Erdoğan for this cooperation. Our relations also strengthen our NATO alliance.

Nawrocki pointed out that trade between the two countries has continued to grow despite the Russia-Ukraine war and recalled that his country had participated in the G20 meeting at the invitation of the United States. He also highlighted defense cooperation as another key area of bilateral ties, stating: “We had the opportunity to discuss the defense agreement signed last year between the Ministers of National Defense of Poland and Türkiye. Under this agreement, we discussed enhancing cooperation between our defense industries. Of course, we hope this cooperation will be based on equal conditions and take various forms.”

^{President Erdoğan speaks at the joint press conference with Polish President Nawrocki, 23 June 2026 - (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Nawrocki continued his remarks as follows: “Polish armed forces are using Bayraktar unmanned aerial vehicles purchased from Türkiye. These are a testament to how important our cooperation is and how vital our two nations are to the alliance. Therefore, we are determined to maintain and extend the presence of our troops stationed at Incirlik Air Base.

Nawrocki also addressed the Israel-Palestine issue, affirming his country’s support for a two-state solution, and added: “We had the opportunity to discuss with President Erdoğan the Russia-Ukraine war as well as hybrid activities by Russia against Poland. We agree that Russia is a single aggressor nation that has attacked Ukraine. We clearly expressed our desire for this war to end as soon as possible. Of course, the best way to resolve this issue is through diplomatic means, and we are in full agreement on this. I am eagerly looking forward to the NATO Summit to be held in Türkiye. I believe it will be highly productive.”

On 23 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and his delegation were hosted at the ASELSAN Gölbaşı Facilities. During the visit, the Polish delegation was introduced to Türkiye’s national and indigenous technologies, engineering capabilities and high-tech production infrastructure in the defense industry.

During the visit, Nawrocki was accompanied by Head of the Defense Industry Presidency Haluk Görgün and ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol. The delegation received comprehensive information on Türkiye’s national technologies developed in areas including electronic warfare, radar, air defense, communications and electro-optics.

^{Polish President Nawrocki at ASELSAN Gölbaşı Facilities, 23 June 2026 - (Anadolu Ajansı)}

In a statement issued by the Presidency, Head of Defense Industry Presidency Haluk Görgün stated that defense industry cooperation between Türkiye and Poland can be further strengthened on the basis of NATO alliance. Görgün said: “We hosted Polish President Karol Nawrocki and his delegation on their official visit to Türkiye at the ASELSAN Gölbaşı Facilities. As part of our program, we presented to President Nawrocki and the esteemed delegation our national and indigenous technologies, engineering capabilities and high-tech production infrastructure in the defense industry. We believe that our capabilities in defense electronics, radar, communications and electro-optic technologies will bring new contributions to defense industry cooperation between our two strong NATO allies. I extend my gratitude to President Nawrocki and his delegation for their close interest in our defense industry.”

President Nawrocki made the following remarks regarding his visit to ASELSAN: “Cooperation between the defense industries of Türkiye and Poland is indispensable. This cooperation is of great importance to both countries. We have been strategic partners for decades. After the agreement signed with Türkiye in 2025, we are ready to establish an even stronger alliance. ASELSAN, established with the support of the Turkish Armed Forces, is a well-established company. We are always ready to engage in dialogue with you. We must share our experiences.” He also noted that Poland appreciates ASELSAN’s activities and local collaborations in Poland.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted an official dinner in honor of Polish President Karol Nawrocki. The dinner at the Presidential Complex was held behind closed doors.