Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is planning to visit Türkiye in early July to attend events related to the NATO summit and hold meetings with defense counterparts, according to the Japan Today newspaper.
The trip, expected to coincide with the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, would underscore Japan’s growing security engagement with the transatlantic alliance and its partners, despite the country not being a NATO member.
According to Mainichi Media, Koizumi is expected to participate in NATO-related gatherings and conduct bilateral talks with defense ministers from alliance member states on the sidelines of the summit.
The report said discussions are likely to focus on regional security challenges and defense cooperation.
Japan has steadily expanded cooperation with NATO in recent years, particularly in areas such as cyber defense, maritime security, emerging technologies and support for Ukraine.
Tokyo and the alliance have repeatedly emphasized that security developments in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are increasingly interconnected.
The planned visit comes as Japan continues to strengthen institutional ties with NATO. In 2025, Tokyo established a dedicated diplomatic mission to the alliance, and cooperation has broadened under a partnership program covering political dialogue and practical security initiatives.
The NATO summit in Ankara is scheduled to bring together leaders and senior officials from member states and partner countries to discuss collective security, defense spending and global strategic challenges.
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