Ankara Airport opened in the Turkish capital on Monday ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit set to be held in the city on July 7-8, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying the new transport links will provide direct access for visiting delegations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony for Ankara Airport, Erdogan said the projects would strengthen Ankara’s aviation and transport infrastructure as the capital prepares to host the summit on July 7-8.
“With the 3-kilometre connection road in the divided-road section, we will provide direct access for delegations attending the NATO Summit,” he said.
This is the second airport in the capital city after Esenboga Airport, which handles both domestic and international flights.
Erdogan said the airport and related investments were completed in a “record” 230 days, adding that a 12.5-kilometre connection road had been built, including 6.5 kilometres of divided road and 6 kilometres of single-lane road.
He said the projects created a strong transport network from Ankara Airport to the city centre over 17 kilometres.
Türkiye becoming centre of international diplomacy
The president said Ankara’s position in diplomatic traffic is strengthening every year as Türkiye’s weight in global politics increases.
“Türkiye, located at the heart of 67 countries with a population of 1.5 billion within just a four-hour flight distance, has now begun to become a place where the heart of international diplomacy beats, with Ankara, Istanbul and Antalya,” he said.
Erdogan also pointed to several major international events Türkiye is hosting in 2026, including the Zero Waste Forum, which took place in Istanbul on June 5-7 and attracted more than 5,000 participants from 183 countries.
He said Türkiye will also host the 77th International Astronautical Congress in October, followed by the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States and the COP31 climate summit in November.
Airport prepared for wide-body aircraft, official flights
“With Ankara Airport, we have not only brought a new project to our capital. We have also revived a work that left deep marks on our aviation history,” Erdogan said.
He said the airport, first built in 1933 on the orders of the republic’s founder Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and long used as a centre of military aviation, had been restored with a new appearance and upgraded facilities.
