UN chief Guterres to visit Ankara for Ramadan solidarity, receive peace prize

2026-03-10 - 22:42

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to travel to Türkiye's capital Ankara as part of his annual "solidarity trip" marking the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, his spokesperson announced Tuesday. Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that the visit aims "to pay tribute to the extraordinary generosity of the Turkish people over many years" in hosting refugees. Türkiye's refugee hospitality Recalling Türkiye's hospitality to "millions of people forced to flee violence and persecution," Dujarric said Guterres will "meet during his trip with representatives of non-governmental organizations working to support refugees in Türkiye." He noted that "Türkiye has provided refuge and support, hosting one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with nearly 2.5 million refugees and asylum seekers, including more than 2.3 million Syrians." Peace prize and meetings During his visit, Guterres will receive "the state award, the Ataturk International Peace Prize, which he will accept on behalf of UN personnel throughout the world." The secretary-general is also scheduled to hold discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to Dujarric. Annual tradition The Ramadan solidarity trip represents an annual tradition for the UN chief, demonstrating solidarity with Muslim communities during the holy month while acknowledging the contributions of host countries to global humanitarian efforts. This year's choice of Türkiye recognizes the country's longstanding role as one of the world's largest refugee-hosting nations despite economic challenges.