At a restaurant in the Turkish capital Ankara, the Presidency's Communications Directorate hosted international journalists who will cover this week's NATO summit. The event was part of Türkiye's gastrodiplomacy efforts expanded in recent years. Burhanettin Duran, head of the directorate, explained the nation’s strategic use of its culinary heritage to foster global understanding ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit.
"Sometimes, a shared meal on a table can say what pages of documents cannot,” Duran said at the dinner. He emphasized that the personal nature of sharing food often facilitates deeper mutual understanding than formal diplomacy. Duran detailed the program titled "Türkiye's Gastrodiplomacy Model: The Heritage Table," characterizing cuisine as one of the "most direct, most sincere, and most enduring expressions of soft power.”
Duran elaborated on the cultural philosophy of the Turkish dining table, describing it as a circle where everyone sits at an equal distance, free from hierarchy. He highlighted the local expression "the bond of shared bread and salt" to illustrate the deep connection formed between those who eat together. "A cup of coffee is remembered for 40 years,” Duran remarked, citing a traditional proverb to underscore how simple hospitality can create lifelong friendships. He noted that Gaziantep, Hatay, and Afyonkarahisar are recognized members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, reflecting the richness of the country’s heritage.
