Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, arrived in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, to participate in the NATO Summit.
Yeşilgöz is attending the high-level summit alongside Rob Jetten, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, as part of the official Dutch delegation.
It is worth noting that, in NATO’s history, this is said to be the first time a Kurdish woman has represented a country—particularly a European country—at such a high level, despite not having been born there.
Since 23 February 2026, Dilan Yeşilgöz has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in Rob Jetten’s government.
Dilan Yeşilgöz’s Political Career
Dilan Yeşilgöz is the leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Before taking on her current role, she served as Minister of Justice and Security in Mark Rutte’s government. Earlier in her career, she was also State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
Dilan Yeşilgöz’s Background
Dilan Yeşilgöz, a Kurdish woman, was born in Ankara in 1977. During her childhood, she and her family came to the Netherlands as refugees. She is originally a Kurd from Dersim.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit officially began yesterday in Ankara with the participation of the leaders of many member states. Those attending include Donald Trump (United States), Emmanuel Macron (France), Keir Starmer (United Kingdom), and Friedrich Merz (Germany). The summit is scheduled to conclude tonight.
Jaran Delpollo / Ankara