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AzerNEWS Staff

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Emir Abbas Gürbüz, Secretary General of ATA Türkiye, is running for President of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA). His candidacy rests on a simple idea: the organisation’s national associations need a stronger voice, and they must help the public understand a changing security environment.

Atlantic Treaty Association has played a key role as the bridge between NATO and the governments and societies of Allied nations. Founded in 1954, even before NATO had its own public diplomacy division, ATA quickly became the Alliance’s most extensive civil society partner in public diplomacy spanning across 40 member and partner countries. The independent nature of ATA allows the national chapters to speak to their fellow citizens as a domestic voice, helping them to understand the Alliance and the benefits and responsibilities it brings with it.

Gürbüz argues that the Atlantic Community is going through a period of major political and security change. A change that, in his view, depends on trust among allies, deeper cooperation and the willingness to act together.

Gürbüz stands out amongst his fellow competitors for the presidency by putting forward an extensive reform program to help ATA adapt to this new environment. While he acknowledges the organisation’s contribution to transatlantic relations, he states that record is not enough on its own. “The ATA must also be ready to respond to the challenges ahead,” he says.

At the centre of his candidacy is a more inclusive organisation. Gürbüz wants every member association to have a stronger voice, to see its views reflected in the ATA’s work and to contribute more fully to it. He describes the ATA’s experience as an asset, but one that must be joined with new ideas and a more effective international presence.

His programme builds on the concept of “NATO 3.0”, a stronger Europe within a stronger Alliance. Gürbüz argues that this vision needs an “ATA 2.0” alongside it: “a network of Atlantic associations that is better connected, better organised and able to explain the changes in security to the public in every member country.” He states that the importance of public diplomacy has only increased in recent years as Allied societies deserve to have their voice heard by the relevant experts and officials.

He sets out three practical priorities: stronger communication among member associations, more opportunities for young people to take part in transatlantic cooperation, and more joint work on emerging security issues. These priorities are described in his white paper, Roadmap for a Better Atlantic Treaty Association, which he submitted to the ATA in September. If elected, Gürbüz says he will work to build cooperation based on mutual trust among all members.

For Gürbüz, the candidacy is more than a bid for a position. “It reflects my commitment to the Atlantic community, where I have spent years working, and my wish to serve my country on the international stage,” he says.

Gürbüz represents a strong combination of both youth and experience. Gürbüz has long experience in the Atlantic network. He served as President of YATA Türkiye and Secretary General of YATA International, the ATA’s youth branch, before being elected to the ATA Board.

Within ATA Türkiye, he has led initiatives including the NATO 2026 Ankara Summit dialogue programme. The 2026 Ankara Summit dialogue programme is an excellent example of ATA network’s power in the area of public diplomacy. When there was no Public Forum in Ankara, ATA Türkiye and its partners organised the NATO Summit Dialogues, mobilising experts, institutions and volunteers on a tight timeline and with limited private funding.

Gürbüz states these experiences have strengthened his belief that the ATA can achieve more when its members are connected and able to contribute. The ATA will elect its new President at its General Assembly in Berlin on 21 November 2026. Gürbüz is asking members to support a more connected organisation, with a stronger voice and a clearer role in explaining the security changes shaping the Atlantic community.

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