Emine Erdoğan’s soft-power diplomacy stands out at the NATO summit

By Yusuf Inan | Wise News Press
Journalist and Author | Political and Strategic Analyst

ANKARA, Türkiye — The program hosted by Emine Erdoğan for the spouses of NATO leaders expanded the summit’s security diplomacy through a complementary message centered on children, culture, art and the environment.

The NATO Summit in Ankara placed defense, deterrence, regional security and the future of the alliance at the center of the international agenda. Yet another achievement remained less visible amid the intense diplomatic traffic among world leaders: the spouses’ program hosted by First Lady Emine Erdoğan.

The gathering was more than a formal reception organized according to diplomatic protocol. From children’s online safety and Turkish cuisine to traditional handicrafts and contemporary fashion, the program presented a comprehensive example of public diplomacy.

Soft power alongside a hard-power agenda

Military capacity, defense spending, deterrence and emerging security threats naturally dominate NATO summits. However, the success of a host country cannot be measured solely through agreements signed by leaders or the bilateral meetings conducted behind closed doors.

The impressions foreign guests take home, the cultural elements they introduce to their own audiences and the values with which they associate the host country are also important parts of a summit’s diplomatic outcome.

The program prepared by Emine Erdoğan added a human-centered soft-power dimension to Türkiye’s military and political influence.

During the meeting titled “Children, Technology and Security: Protecting the Next Generation,” held at Çankaya Mansion, the spouses of NATO leaders discussed the effects of the digital world on children. Guests were also introduced to traditional textiles, embroidery, handicrafts and culinary examples representing Türkiye’s cultural heritage.

While defense systems, military expenditure and geopolitical risks were being discussed in one part of the summit, another part focused on children’s futures, culture, art and family safety.

Children’s online safety enters the summit agenda

One of Emine Erdoğan’s most significant political initiatives was to open a discussion about children’s digital safety on the sidelines of an organization primarily associated with military security.

She drew attention to the way digital platforms turn children’s attention, time and curiosity into commercial products. She argued that child safety should not be treated as an optional setting added to a platform after its development, but as a fundamental principle of technological design.

She also raised issues including independent oversight of algorithms, age-verification systems, parental controls and content policies designed specifically for children.

This approach reflects the fact that modern security is no longer limited to protecting national borders or military facilities. Cyberbullying, misinformation, artificial intelligence-generated images, addictive application designs and uncontrolled online content have also become security concerns for younger generations.

Rather than repeating the summit’s military agenda, Emine Erdoğan introduced a social and humanitarian dimension to the wider concept of security.

Brigitte Macron’s participation draws attention

Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, was among the participants in the meeting hosted by Emine Erdoğan.

Emine Erdoğan gave Macron the first opportunity to speak, referring to her background as an educator. This detail indicated that the program had been prepared with attention to the individual experience of its participants.

Macron said France was attempting to limit screen use in schools as much as possible. She argued that reading from a screen and reading from a printed book did not have the same effect on children’s intellectual development.

She also warned that videos and other content created with artificial intelligence could mislead children, calling for stronger rules governing the digital environment.

Most importantly, Macron actively participated in the program, contributed to the agenda established by Emine Erdoğan and shared France’s experience in addressing children’s online safety.

Her involvement demonstrated that the issue raised by the Turkish first lady resonated with international participants and was not treated merely as a ceremonial theme.

Ajda Pekkan performs as Özgür Masur presents his collection

Different areas of Turkish culture and art were also included in the program organized for the leaders’ spouses.

According to media reports and social media posts by participants, renowned Turkish singer Ajda Pekkan performed during the event. Guests also watched a fashion presentation prepared by Turkish designer Özgür Masur.

Monika Babišová, the wife of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, shared images from the fashion show on social media and thanked Emine Erdoğan for the program.

The fact that international guests shared photographs and impressions with audiences in their own countries helped extend Türkiye’s cultural presentation beyond the summit venue.

It would be incomplete to view a concert or fashion show merely as entertainment. Music, fashion, gastronomy and traditional arts are important soft-power instruments through which countries communicate their identity to international audiences.

Presenting a leading Turkish performer and a Turkish fashion designer before the spouses of world leaders gave contemporary Turkish cultural production a prominent international platform.

The program brought modern and traditional Türkiye together within the same narrative. Ajda Pekkan and Özgür Masur represented contemporary cultural production, while İznik tiles, Anatolian textiles, traditional embroidery and Turkish cuisine highlighted the country’s historical heritage.

From Zero Waste to global values diplomacy

Emine Erdoğan’s diplomatic presence at the NATO Summit cannot be considered separately from her earlier work on the Zero Waste initiative.

Launched in Türkiye in 2017, the initiative was gradually elevated to the level of the United Nations. Following a resolution led by Türkiye and supported by numerous countries, March 30 was designated as the International Day of Zero Waste.

Emine Erdoğan also chaired the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste.

This development was significant because an environmental project launched in Türkiye evolved into an international platform for diplomacy and policymaking.

The Zero Waste initiative also reflects Islam’s strong moral sensitivity toward wastefulness. The Quran advises people to eat and drink without becoming wasteful.

Islamic tradition also recounts the Prophet Muhammad advising against the excessive use of water, even when a person is standing beside a flowing river.

Emine Erdoğan’s achievement was to present this message against wastefulness through more than exclusively religious language. It was translated into internationally understood concepts such as sustainability, the circular economy, climate change, food security and resource efficiency.

The principle of avoiding waste consequently moved beyond personal moral guidance and became part of the global debate over environmental and economic policy.

Zero Waste is not solely an environmental initiative. It also has an economic dimension because it encourages more efficient resource use, protects public and household budgets, reduces food loss and can lower production costs.

Emine Erdoğan’s focus on wastefulness has therefore developed into a diplomatic approach that brings moral responsibility and economic rationality together.

Not behind, but beside him with an agenda of her own

The phrase “Behind every successful man is a strong woman” is frequently used in such circumstances. However, defining Emine Erdoğan merely as an invisible figure standing behind President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would fail to explain her role at the NATO Summit.

The summit presented her as a visible actor who established her own agenda, brought international guests together around a shared concern and transformed cultural elements into diplomatic messages.

While President Erdoğan discussed defense, security and international politics with NATO leaders, Emine Erdoğan used the spouses’ program to address children’s futures, digital safety, the prevention of waste, culture and the arts.

These two areas were not rivals. They were complementary diplomatic channels used by Türkiye during the same summit.

Türkiye’s military, political and geopolitical influence was displayed on one side. On the other were its cultural heritage, hospitality and an approach that placed families and children at the center.

The summit’s less visible diplomatic success

Türkiye’s achievement at the NATO Summit should not be judged solely through meetings among leaders or agreements concerning defense.

The impressions the leaders’ spouses took away from Türkiye, their understanding of Turkish culture and the messages they carried back to their own countries were also part of the summit’s wider outcome.

Emine Erdoğan’s program brought together a contemporary issue such as children’s online safety with Turkish fashion, music, cuisine, traditional arts and environmental advocacy.

Brigitte Macron’s active contribution, Monika Babišová’s social media posts and the interest shown by international guests in Turkish culture indicated that the program found an audience beyond its host country.

Emine Erdoğan’s primary achievement was her ability to present Türkiye not only through its defense capabilities and political influence, but also as a country that cares about children’s futures, opposes wastefulness, confidently presents its cultural heritage and contributes to debates on universal challenges.

The visible side of the summit featured defense, missile systems and geopolitical calculations. Its less visible side addressed culture, environmental responsibility, women’s diplomatic influence and the security of future generations.

Emine Erdoğan’s performance at the NATO Summit went beyond the limits of protocol and became a noteworthy example of public diplomacy supporting Türkiye’s soft power.

WiseNewsPress.com

Yusuf İnan

Yusuf İnan is a journalist, author, and political and strategic analyst. He serves as editor-in-chief of UAPresa.com, WiseNewsPress.com, SehitlerOlmez.com and YerelGundem.com. His work focuses on strategic and political analysis concerning developments in Türkiye and around the world.