NSC was invited by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung to participate at the Study and Information Tour with Strategic Foresight Workshop “Turkish Foreign and Security Policy until 2030: ‘Between Strategic Autonomy and NATO Commitment’” organized between 19 and 22 January 2026 in Ankara. Most of the participants were from Germany and Türkiye, with a few representatives from four Allied countries, including Romania.
On behalf of NSC, Major General (Retired) Paul Hurmuz, Senior Associate Expert, attended the event, which also included meetings at the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, German Embassy and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).

In his interventions, he stressed the fact that NATO is facing a complex, volatile and unpredictable security environment in the Black Sea region, because of the armed conflict of Russia against Ukraine, the frozen conflicts, the aggressive Russian hybrid warfare operations, the violation of the principles of freedom of navigation, the attacks on civilian infrastructure and many other that put peace and security in this region at serious and imminent threat.
Also, energy security remains tied to Russian activities in the Black Sea, given the large gas reserves discovered and the future exploitation by Romania, Türkiye and Bulgaria.